The desecration of the Quran by a protester in Sweden has sparked condemnation from several countries. The incident took place during a small demonstration that had been granted permission by the police to take place outside a mosque in Stockholm.
Many countries have condemned the act of desecration of the Quran by a protestor in Sweden after police gave permission to a small demonstration to take place outside a Stockholm mosque on Wednesday at which the organisers said they would "tear up the Quran and burn it".
Police later charged the man who tore up and burned a Quran outside Stockholm's central mosque on Wednesday, with agitation against an ethnic or national group and a violation of a ban on fires which has been in place in Sweden.
Turkey
Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan condemned the act in a tweet, saying that was unacceptable to allow anti-Islam protests in the name of freedom of expression.
The move could jeopardize Sweden's bid to join the NATO before the bloc’s key summit in July. NATO requires the unanimous approval of all members to expand. Turkiye accuses Sweden of being too lenient on groups that Ankara says pose a security threat, including militant Kurdish groups and people associated with a 2016 coup attempt.
Morroco, Jordan
Morroco and Jordan have recalled their ambassadors to Stockholm, and Morocco has also summoned Sweden's charge d'affaires in Rabat, according to a report by BBC. It also expressed the Kingdom's "strong condemnation of this attack and its rejection of this unacceptable act".
United States
United States State Department spokesperson said that burning of religious texts is "disrespectful and hurtful". "What might be legal is certainly not necessarily appropriate," Vedant Patel said, according to a report by Reuters. However, he reiterated Sweden's bid of NATO accession, saying, "We believe Sweden has fulfilled its commitments under the trilateral memorandum."
Iran
Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani condemned the act calling it “provocative, ill-considered and unacceptable”.
“The government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran… do not tolerate such an insult and strongly condemn it,” said Nasser Kanani.
“The Swedish government is expected to seriously consider the principle of responsibility and accountability in this regard, while preventing the repetition of insulting the holy sanctities,” he added.
Egypt
Egypt's Foreign Ministry issued a statement voicing concern about “repeated incidents” of the burning of the Quran in Europe.
“Egypt expresses its deep concern about the repeated incidents of burning the Holy Qur’an and the recent escalation of Islamophobia and crimes of blasphemy of religions in some European countries, affirming its total rejection of all reprehensible practices that affect the constants and religious beliefs of Muslims,” it said in a statement.
Iraq
The Iraq government in a statement alled the act “racist” and “irresponsible”, adding that it condemns “the repeated acts of burning copies of the holy Koran by individuals with extremist and disturbed minds”.
Kuwait
Kuwait’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the burning was a “dangerous, provocative step that inflames the feelings of Muslims around the world”.
It called on the international community and governments “to take responsibility for swift action to renounce feelings of hatred, extremism and religious intolerance," according to a report by AlJazeera.
Syria
Syria's government too condemned the act on one of the holiest days for Muslims “by an extremist with the permission and consent of the Swedish government”