Yemeni Parliament Speaker Yahya Ali Al-Ra’i expressed appreciation to the Spanish Parliament for its principled stance condemning the burning of copies of the Holy Quran.
This comes in a message sent by the Speaker of Yemen’s House of Representatives to Francina Armengol, President of Spain’s Congress of Deputies, and Pedro Rollán Ojeda, President of the Spanish Senate.”
“In my name, on behalf of the Presidency and members of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Yemen, and on behalf of the Yemeni people, I extend to you my sincere appreciation and respect, wishing the members of parliament and the friendly Spanish people continued progress and prosperity,” Al-Ra’i said.
Al-Ra’i expressed deep appreciation for the courageous and honorable positions taken by both chambers of the Spanish Parliament, as well as the Spanish government, in condemning the burning of the Holy Quran and repeated attacks on Islamic sanctities.
“We highly appreciated your consideration of these practices as unacceptable provocative acts that incite hatred, as well as your firm affirmation that burning holy books has nothing to do with freedom of expression, but rather constitutes acts of intolerance, discrimination, and attempts to undermine peaceful coexistence,” he added.
The Yemeni parliament speaker also praised the legislative and parliamentary steps taken in Spain through reviewing and amending laws related to offenses against religious sentiments, aimed at striking a balance between protecting religious beliefs and preventing the misuse of freedom of expression as a pretext for insulting religions and desecrating sacred values.
He further commended the Spanish Parliament’s support for international initiatives, particularly the Alliance of Civilizations initiative, and efforts to promote the values of tolerance and peace among nations.
The message also praised what it described as Spain’s principled and historic positions, including its humanitarian stance regarding Gaza and its support for Arab and Islamic causes, foremost among them the Palestinian cause.
According to the message, these positions reflect the deep cultural and historical ties between Yemen and Spain and demonstrate Spain’s commitment to justice and human rights on the international stage.
Al-Ra’i reaffirmed the Yemeni parliament’s keenness to strengthen bilateral parliamentary cooperation between the two friendly countries and coordinate positions in international forums in ways that support global peace and security.
