A Call For Respect: Analyzing Quran Burning, Human Rights, and The Islamic Law Perspective

Abstract

The burning of the Quran, widely regarded as the holy book of Islam, has sparked significant outrage and debate across various European Union states, particularly in Sweden. This provocative act raises critical questions about the balance between individual freedom of expression and the respect for religious beliefs. The European Union, through its commitment to democratic principles, often upholds freedom of expression as a fundamental right. However, this raises the issue of whether such expressions can rightfully include acts that are deeply offensive to large segments of the population, particularly religious communities. This paper explores these tensions within the framework of the development of the international human rights system, providing a nuanced analysis of responses from Muslim scholars, organizations, and associated states. It also scrutinizes the impact of Western human rights paradigms on global practices, specifically in contexts such as Indonesia. This paper found a fundamental crisis of western based of human rights and the lack of sound argument from muslim world to contribute to this lacking.