The Network of Ethiopian Muslims in Europe is deeply saddened and immensely grieved by desecration in various Ethiopian Universities of the Holly Quran. The awful act started when evil inspired individuals in Debub/Awassa University deliberately used the pages of the Holly Quran for sanitation purpose. The desecration of the Quran then continued to Addis Ababa University and possibly to other universities across the country.

pages of the Quran that were used for sanitary purpose in Ethiopian Higher institutions. Photo from aljazeera.net which carries a report in Arabic covering the issue.

The Quran is the divine and final book of Allah revealed to through the Last and Final Prophet, Muhammad (PBUH) for the benefit of all mankind. Muslims are taught that the Quran is to be respected, revered,and treated with the utmost care and caution. We are not allowed to hold it or even touch its pages without being in ritual cleanliness (wudu), and we cannot place the Quran lower than any other book or hold it lower than the level of our hearts. So much is the position of the Quran in the hands, hearts and minds of over 1, 5 billion Muslim across the world.

It should be noticed that these sacrilegious deeds against the Holly Quran are part of string of criminal acts the Ethiopian Muslim population experienced and made to sustain in the recent years. As s result, our country Ethiopia stands today at a very critical juncture and need to regain a momentum for respect and peaceful co-existence. Its success or failure still hangs on balance, and with it, the future of the country.

It is a recognized objective of the Network of Ethiopian Muslims in Europe to work for a tolerant and respectful society, and for a harmonic co-existence between different religious and ethnic groups of the country.

The Network of Ethiopian Muslims in Europe condemns with strongest terms this awful and insipid deed committed by irresponsible individuals and /or groups. We further call upon all peace-loving people to join hands with us and demand without delay:

• for the case to be given the maximum attention of the government and be investigated thoroughly,
  
  
• to take appropriate legal measure that would deliver a fitting and exemplary punishment on those who have committed the heinous crime.

Finally we would like to reiterate that, given the gravity of the case as well as its international significance, failure to address the issue would lead our society and the country to unwarranted consequence.

Network of Ethiopian Muslims in Europe
April, 23 2006