Sweden Quran Burning: Government Condemns ‘Islamophobic’ Incident

The Swedish government has strongly condemned the recent burning of a Quran outside Stockholm’s main mosque, denouncing it as an “Islamophobic” act. In response to the incident, the Saudi-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) called for collective measures to prevent the desecration of the Muslim holy book in the future.

The foreign ministry of Sweden issued a statement on Sunday expressing its understanding that such Islamophobic acts committed by individuals at demonstrations within the country can be offensive to Muslims. The government emphasized that these acts do not reflect its views or the values of the Swedish society.

The OIC, consisting of 57 member states, held an “extraordinary” meeting at its headquarters in Jeddah to address the Quran burning incident. In a statement released after the meeting, the OIC urged its member states to take unified and collective measures to prevent the recurrence of such desecration.

Sweden acknowledges the constitutionally protected rights to freedom of assembly, expression, and demonstration, as stated by the foreign ministry. However, authorities have opened an investigation into the incident, citing “agitation against an ethnic group.” The individual involved, Salwan Momika, an Iraqi citizen residing in Sweden, stomped on the Quran and set several pages on fire in close proximity to the mosque.

Several countries, including Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco, have summoned Swedish ambassadors to express their protest against the Quran burning incident.

The condemnation by the Swedish government and the subsequent international response highlights the importance of respecting religious sentiments while also balancing the principles of freedom of speech and expression.