The countries that have condemned the act include Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Jordan and Kuwait.
Muslim countries have strongly condemned the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran during a protest in Stockholm, Sweden on Saturday.
The countries that have condemned the act include Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Jordan and Kuwait.
The Quran burning was carried out by Rasmus Paludan, leader of Danish far-right political party Hard Line. In April 2022, Paludan’s announcement of a Quran burning “tour” during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan sparked riots across Sweden.
Surrounded by police, Paludan set fire to the holy book with a lighter following a long diatribe of almost an hour, in which he attacked Islam and immigration in Sweden. About 100 people gathered nearby for a peaceful counter-demonstration, Al-Jazeera reports.
“If you don’t think there should be freedom of expression, you have to live somewhere else,” he said.
The Turkish foreign ministry responded immediately in a statement.
Prior to the act, the Turkish government had repeatedly asked the Swedish authorities to avoid granting permission for such protests in Stockholm during which a copy of the Holy Quran was burned.
The anti-Muslim provocative move took place after the Turkish government cancelled a planned visit of the Swedish Defence Minister to Ankara – followed by protestors who took to the streets chanting anti-Turkish slogans during the rally, MENAFN reports.
Protest in Stockholm on Saturday against Turkey and Sweden's bid to join NATO, including the burning of a copy of the Quran, sharply heightened tensions with Turkey at a time when the Nordic country needs Ankara's backing to gain entry to the military alliance.
Turkey is already a NATO member, which translates it can block another country from joining. Sweden and Finland both applied to join NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, however, Turkey opposed Sweden and Finland to become new members of the alliance.
The provocative protest has not only soured the relations between Sweden and Tukey further, but also the majority of the Muslim world has condemned the act in the strongest manner, and described it as completely unacceptable for Muslims.
“Burning the Quran, Muslim's holiest scripture under the guise of freedom of expression is a devilish act. “Permitting this anti-Islam act, which targets Muslims and insults our sacred values, under the guise of 'freedom of expression' is completely unacceptable,” the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement said.
In August 2020, far-right activists burned a Quran in the southern Swedish city of Malmo, sparking riots and unrest.
Rioters clashed with the police and rescue services with over a dozen people detained.