Quran burning, desecration protests: Saudi Arabia, Iran summon Swedish diplomats

Saudi Arabia and Iran summoned Swedish diplomats to mark protest against Sweden for allowing the burning of the holy book Quran. Swedenhad granted permission to burn the holy book as part of a protest outside Stockholm’s main mosque, a move that is now being slammed by a majority of Muslim nations.

The foreign ministry of both Middle east nations released statements late Thursday condemning the actions by the Swedish police.

Sweden became the epicentre of angry protests after the 28 June incident when Sweden-based Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika burned pages of the Quran in front of the largest mosque in Stockholm during Eid al-Adha. Reports quoting Momika said that the primary purpose of the refugee was to bring the spotlight on freedom of speech.

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Another major protest happened on Thursday when protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad and set it on fire. Thursday's protest in Baghdad was organised by supporters of religious leader Moqtada Sadr who were angered by the desecration of Quran in Sweden.

Iraq severed its diplomatic ties with Sweden.

A planned protest was organised on the same day when Momika staged another protest in Stockholm. This time, he stomped on and kicked the copy of the Muslim holy book in front of Iraq's embassy.

In a statement, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its "strong condemnation and denunciation of the repeated and irresponsible actions of the Swedish authorities by granting some extremists official permits authorizing them to burn and desecrate copies of the Holy Quran."

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Speaking in the same vein, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani said that Sweden’s ambassador to Tehran had been summoned. “We strongly condemn the repeated desecration of the Holy Quran and Islamic sanctities in Sweden and hold the Swedish government fully responsible for the consequences of inciting the feelings of Muslims around the world,” Kanani said, reported Dawn news portal.

Iraq and Sweden ties

The Quran burning incident and the following protests have affected diplomatic ties between the Iraq and Sweden. The government ordered the Swedish ambassador to leave the country and called back its envoy from the capital Stockholm.

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Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani "instructed the Swedish ambassador in Baghdad to leave Iraqi territory", his office said in a statement.

Other countries that condemned Sweden

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said, “The desecration of sacred books, persons and rituals is not freedom of expression but [is done] to constantly torment the world" and added that the entire Muslim and Christian communities “must stop this conspiracy together."

Other countries that condemned Sweden are Turkey, Lebanon, United States, among others. However, the US said that Sweden’s issuing of the permit supported freedom of expression but the country was not an endorsement of the action.

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