Sweden: A copy of Quran was reportedly burnt in Sweden’s Stockholm on January 21 as natives staged a protest against Turkey outside Turkish Embassy. At least three protests at different locations took part in the country. The incident has attracted sharp reactions from the Sweden Police and Islamic nations.
Quran Burnt in Sweden
Far-right Rasmus Paludan, a Swedish politician, burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm to protest Ankara’s refusal to grant Sweden membership in North Atlantic Treaty Orgnisation (NATO) following Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom condemned the book-burning. “Sweden has a far-reaching freedom of expression but it does not imply that the Swedish government, or myself, support the opinions expressed,” Billstrom said on Twitter.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the vile attack on our holy book,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said. “Permitting this anti-Islam act, which targets Muslims and insults our sacred values, under the guise of freedom of expression is completely unacceptable,” he added.
Protest against Rasmus Paludan
Paludan’s actions sparked outrage in Turkey, as Muslims consider any intentional damage or disrespect to the Quran to be deeply offensive.
Now, a group of protestors have set fire to the poster of Rasmus Paludan, who set the sacred book on fire. A group of protestors marched towards Swedish Consulate General during a demonstration to condemn the burning of book.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, PTI chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi and OIC secretary general have condemned Quran burning incident, the local media reports stated.
Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait have also condemned the incident. “Saudi Arabia calls for spreading the values of dialogue, tolerance, and coexistence, and rejects hatred and extremism,” a statement by the Saudi Arabia foreign minister read.
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