The story: Gulf Arab members of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) have backed a resolution that denounces Quran burnings as acts of religious hate. European states and the US—with the notable exception of Ukraine—voted against the resolution while African and Asian countries were in favor. 

The measure was sparked by a Quran burning in Sweden by an Iraq-born refugee. Swedish authorities authorized the spectacle but have since condemned it as “anti-Islamic.”

The coverage: UNHRC members Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were among 28 countries which voted in favor of the resolution. Their sentiments were echoed by other Gulf Arab states such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, which have also condemned Quran burnings. 12 UNHRC members voted against the resolution, with 7 abstentions.

• Entitled “Countering religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence,” the resolution calls on governments to adopt national laws and policies that “address, prevent and...