Arab and Muslim countries have strongly condemned the burning of the Holy Quran by extremists in Sweden, as a provocation to the feelings of Muslims, a grave insult to their sanctities, and an incitement to hatred and violence.
On Thursday, April 14, the far-right group, which is led by Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan burned a copy of the Holy Quran, in southern Linkoping in Sweden, under police protection.
Following the burning of a copy of the Quran, Sweden witnessed clashes between police and protesters in the past days, during which a number of policemen were injured, and several cars were set on fire.
A Viral video shows youngsters smashing windows of police automobiles and shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest).
Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls the act a “deliberate abuse” of the Holy Quran by extremists in Sweden.
In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted the importance of spreading values of dialogue, tolerance, and coexistence.
UAE
Presidential advisor in the UAE, Anwar Gargash, considered the incidents of hatred and intolerance against Islam in Sweden a threat to the principle of coexistence, expressing his rejection of them.
Gargash said on his official page on Twitter, “The wave of hatred and intolerance that Sweden is witnessing against our true Islamic religion is rejected and poses a danger to its adoption of an ideology rejecting the principles of coexistence.”
The UAE chose to follow the path of tolerance and reflects positively on its multicultural society, he added.
Kuwait
The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry affirmed, that these abuses constitute a serious provocation to the feelings of Muslims around the world and incitement against them that undermine the values of coexistence and tolerance.
Qatar
Qatari Foreign Ministry described the incident as heinous, considering it “an act of incitement and a dangerous provocation to the feelings of more than two billion Muslims in the world.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed Qatar’s total rejection of all forms of hate speech based on belief, race or religion.
Bahrain
Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed Bahrain’s denunciation and strong condemnation of extremists in Sweden burning copies of the Holy Qur’an, considering it a “provocative act of Muslims’ feelings, a grave insult to their sanctities, and incitement to hatred and violence.”
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that “such hateful practices are incompatible with freedom of religion and belief and coexistence.”
Egypt
In the statement, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “Egypt affirms its refusal to prejudice religious principles and beliefs, whatever they are, and to engage in provocative practices that contradict all human values and principles, and stresses the need to respect the right to freedom of religion and belief as a basic human right.”
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Jordan
For its part, the official spokesman for the Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Haitham Abu Al-Foul, said, “This act is condemned and rejected, and it contradicts all religious values and principles, human rights principles and basic freedoms, and fuels feelings of hatred and violence, and threatens peaceful coexistence.”
Iran
Iranian Foreign Ministry demanded, on Sunday, the Swedish authorities, respond strongly and frankly to the burning of a copy of the Quran.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said, in a statement, that “his country condemns the burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden by a racist Danish person under the pretext of freedom of expression under the auspices of the Swedish police.”
Iraq
The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Chargé d’Affairs of Sweden in Baghdad, Hakan Roth, following the burning of a copy of the Quran in Sweden.
Muslim World League
The Muslim World League condemned what it described as “the absurd and shameful act carried out by some extremists in Sweden”.
Arab countries called on the international community to assume its responsibilities to stop such unacceptable actions, work to spread the values of tolerance, coexistence, and dialogue, and prevent abuse of all monotheistic religions.
