Russian President Vladimir Putin, during his visit to the Friday Mosque in Derbent city of the Republic of Dagestan in the Russian Federation, said that the Quran is a holy relic for Muslims and that disrespecting it is a crime in Russia.
“(The Quran) is a holy relic for Muslims and it is for all other people as well. “We know that in other countries they behave differently, that they do not respect people’s religious feelings, and moreover, they say that it is not a crime,” he said.
Underlining that disrespect for the Qur’an in Russia is a crime both within the framework of the Constitution and the Penal Code, Putin said, “Disrespect and inciting a division between faiths is a crime.”
Celebrating the Eid-al-Adha of Muslims, Putin was presented with the Qur’an.
This statement by Putin followed the permission to burn the Qur’an on the first day of Eid al-Adha in Sweden.
The Russian leader also emphasized that the fraternal relations between Muslims and Orthodox Christians in Russia reinforce the unity and solidarity of the Russian people.