During his visit to the Juma Mosque in Derbent, Dagestan, Russian President Vladimir Putin was presented with a gift of the Quran, the holy book of Islam.
Veli Fataliyev, the director of the Derbent museum preserve, confirmed that they gifted the president a Quran from the holy city of Mecca.
In response to the gift, Putin expressed his gratitude and acknowledged the sacredness of the Quran for Muslims.
He emphasised that the Quran should be respected not only by Muslims but by everyone.
Putin also highlighted that in Russia, desecrating religious texts is considered a crime, punishable under both the Constitution and the penal code.
The timing of Putin’s statement is noteworthy, as it followed an incident where an individual tore up and burned a copy of the Holy Quran outside Stockholm’s central mosque.
The incident gained international attention and raised discussions on the importance of respecting religious beliefs and promoting tolerance.
