Sweden govt condemns ‘Islamophobic’ Quran burning protest amid calls to prevent desecration of holy book

The Swedish government, on Sunday (July 2) condemned the burning of the Quran outside Stockholm’s main mosque, calling it an “Islamophobic” act. This comes after the international Islamic body of 57 states called for measures to prevent acts of desecration of the holy book.

What did the Swedish government say?

Sweden’s foreign ministry, in a statement, said, “The Swedish Government fully understands that the Islamophobic acts committed by individuals at demonstrations in Sweden can be offensive to Muslims.” It added, “We strongly condemn these acts, which in no way reflect the views of the Swedish government.”

The condemnation comes days after the country’s police granted 37-year-old, Salwan Momika, an Iraqi citizen living in Sweden, a permit to protest outside a Stockholm mosque where he reportedly stomped on the Quran and burned several pages of the holy book.

The move has since drawn international condemnation from several countries which also summoned Swedish ambassadors to protest the incident.

Meanwhile, the Swedish government, on Sunday also reiterated that the country has a “constitutionally protected right to freedom of assembly, expression and demonstration.” The officials also said that they have opened an investigation over “agitation against and ethnic group.”

“The burning of the Koran, or any other holy text, is an offensive and disrespectful act and a clear provocation. Expressions of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance have no place in Sweden or in Europe,” said the Swedish government.

OIC calls for ‘urgent application’ of int’l law to prevent religious hatred

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a group of 57 states which have a Muslim-majority population, held a meeting at its headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia about the incident which took place on Wednesday in Sweden.

“We must send constant reminders to the international community regarding the urgent application of international law, which clearly prohibits any advocacy of religious hatred,” said the OIC Secretary-General Hissein Brahim Taha, on Sunday.

Additionally, the OIC has also urged the member states to “take unified and collective measures to prevent the recurrence of incidents of desecration of copies of the” Quran, said the statement released following the “extraordinary” meeting. The incident has also sparked protests in Baghdad in front of the Swedish Embassy.

This also comes amid Turkey blocking Sweden’s NATO bid and months after Ankara suspended talks with Stockholm after a Danish right wing politician burned a copy of the Quran near the Turkish embassy in the Swedish capital, earlier this year.

(With inputs from agencies)

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