RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Numerous Arab and Islamic organizations have vehemently condemned the recent act of burning a copy of the Holy Quran by an extremist in Stockholm, Sweden.
The General Secretariat of the Council of Arab Interior Ministers referred to the act as a “flagrant provocation to all Muslims” and a “despicable act of contempt for sacred principles.” The Secretariat emphasized the importance of preventing the recurrence of such crimes, urging all countries to combat extremism and promote dialogue and harmony.
The Council of the League of Arab States also condemned the incident, calling it a “disgraceful act” that coincides with the celebration of Eid al-Adha, offending Muslims worldwide. The Council called on the international community and Swedish authorities to prevent such actions and treat them as crimes of hatred punishable by law.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and Saudi Arabia echoed these sentiments, denouncing the violation of the sanctity of the Holy Quran and other Islamic values. They both reaffirmed the commitment to promoting, respecting, and observing human rights universally, without any form of discrimination.
Ahmed bin Muhammad Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace, strongly condemned the act, saying it “promotes hatred and hostility among people” and obstructs international efforts to protect humanity and beliefs.
In response, the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to express strong protest and condemnation. The Ministry stressed the importance of monitoring hate speech and expressions of racism that negatively impact peace and security, rejecting the use of freedom of expression as justification for such heinous acts.
Similar statements were made by the Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Muslim World League, and Qatar. They all strongly condemned the act and called on the Swedish authorities and the international community to take immediate action to prevent such actions, stressing that such practices promote hatred and extremism and violate the principles of tolerance and freedom of religion.
In a related development, Turkey summoned the ambassador of Denmark on Friday on the issue. Ankara termed the action as a retaliatory act against Turkey’s refusal to support NATO membership for Sweden and Finland.
According to a Turkish diplomatic source, the summoning of the Danish ambassador was a direct protest against what Turkey considered an “unacceptable” response to the actions of the extremist, Paludan.
The Turkish diplomat, speaking to reporters, stated, “We express our strong condemnation of the decision to permit such a provocative act, which undeniably amounts to a hate crime.”
Meanwhile, in a show of solidarity and rejection of religious disrespect, a group of protestors gathered on Thursday evening in front of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad.
The protesters held copies of the Quran aloft, symbolizing their pride in the holy book and rejecting the contemptuous act sanctioned by the Swedish government.
Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Sadrist movement, had earlier made a call for the demonstration, urging followers to express their disapproval of the incident of Quran desecration in the Swedish capital.