The event, called "Don't Burn, Read", was organized by six mosque leaders in Arnhem, a city in the east of the Netherlands.

The event took place at Jansplein Square, where Edwin Wagensveld, the leader of the anti-Islam group Pegida, tried to set fire to a Quran on Jan. 13. The organizers also handed out brochures explaining Islam to the public.

Galip Aydemir, the president of the Arnhem Türkiyem Mosque Foundation, which is affiliated with the Dutch Diyanet Foundation, said they wanted to show people why Islam and the Quran are sacred for Muslims.

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He also called for unity and solidarity among the people of Arnhem, saying: "Let the Quran and all sacred texts not be burned, but read."

John Maters, a Dutch citizen who received a Quran copy, praised the event and condemned Wagensveld's actions. "When you think about the provocative action carried out last month, you turn people into enemies against each other. I don't think you have to be religious to understand that this doesn't make any sense," he said, Anadolu Agency reported.

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Wagensveld has a record of Quran burning incidents in the past two years. He desecrated the Quran in front of the temporary Dutch parliament building in The Hague and in a solo protest in Utrecht in 2022 and 2023. He was also arrested in Rotterdam and The Hague for trying to burn the Quran without following the demonstration rules. In both cases, Muslim groups staged counter-protests to challenge Pegida's actions. Last year, Wagensveld also tore the Quran in front of Turkey's Embassy in The Hague.

Source: Agencies