The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, demands that the administration of US President Joe Biden condemn the recent burning of Quran copies and destruction of mosques by Israeli soldiers in Gaza.

CAIR asserts that the desecration of Islam’s sacred text further demonstrates that the Israeli actions in Gaza are targeting both Islam and the Palestinian people.

One video aired by Al Jazeera Arabic reportedly shows Israeli soldiers burning and tearing copies of the Quran in the Bani Saleh Mosque in northern Gaza. Another video allegedly depicts Israeli forces destroying the historic Grand Mosque in Khan Younis, one of the oldest mosques in Gaza. Al Jazeera said the footage was obtained from cameras of Israeli soldiers and from drones.

“By once again filming themselves burning Qurans and destroying mosques, the forces of the far-right Israeli government have confirmed that their war on the Palestinian people in Gaza is also a war on Islam itself,” said CAIR’s national executive director, Nihad Awad, in a statement. The group also called on United States President Joe Biden to denounce Israeli abuses. “The Biden administration must condemn this religious desecration and suspend weapons transfers to the Israeli government to force an end to its campaign of slaughter and starvation in Gaza.”

Hamas has called on Arab and Muslim countries and organizations to condemn and express outrage against Israeli forces for burning copies of the Quran and to take action to defend Islamic and Christian sanctities in Palestine. Additionally, Pakistan has condemned Israel’s bombing of the historic Grand Mosque in Gaza’s Khan Younis and urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to protect the Palestinians by putting an end to Israeli violations of international law, the Pakistani foreign office said.

Destroying or desecrating a Quran is a grave offense under Islam and an insult to the faith of some 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide. During the Israeli offensive on Gaza, Israel has completely destroyed 610 mosques and partially destroyed 214, as well as three churches, according to the Gaza media office. The “Al-Omari Mosque” of Gaza, which was 14 centuries old, was also destroyed. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 40,200 Palestinians and turned large parts of the besieged Palestinian territory into rubble.

Source: CAIR