Religion

Desecrating Quran is ‘offensive, disrespectful act’, says Sweden’s foreign ministry

Hundreds of angry protestors on Thursday stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad and set the diplomatic post on fire. The embassy staffers were evacuated beforehand.

Kurdistan 24 2023/07/23 11:17

A demonstrator holds a copy of the Quran, Islam's holy book, during a rally in Iraq's central shrine city of Kufa east of nearby Najaf after the weekly Friday prayers denouncing the burning of the Quran in Sweden, July 21, 2023. (Qassem al-

Iraq Sweden Iraq

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Sweden’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday told Kurdistan 24 that desecrating Quran or any other holy book is “offensive and disrespectful,” slamming those who try to provoke or cause division among various religious groups.

The Ministry responded to Kurdistan 24’s emailed questions, concerning Baghdad and Stockholm relations following the latest desecration of a copy of the Quran as well as granting permits to burn or disrespect the holy book, as it has been committed by a member of the Iraqi diaspora community twice in less than a month in the Nordic country.

“Desecration of the Quran, or any other holy scripture, is an offensive and disrespectful act, and a clear provocation. Expressions of racism, xenophobia, and related intolerance have no place in Sweden,” the Ministry said.

Hundreds of angry protestors on Thursday stormed the Embassy of Sweden in Baghdad and set the diplomatic post on fire. The embassy staffers were evacuated beforehand.

Baghdad severed all diplomatic ties with Sweden last week after Salwan Momika, an Iraqi diaspora member, kicked and stomped on the Quran and Iraqi flag outside the Embassy of Iraq in Stockholm. The government also expelled the Swedish Ambassador to Baghdad and recalled its chargé d'affaires in Sweden.

“We are in contact with the Iraqi authorities and we are continuing our dialogue,” it added.

Regarding whether the Swedish government will allow burning or desecrating Quran in the future, the Ministry said its country’s institutions function independently of the government.

“The permit requirement for demonstrations is regulated in the Public Order Act. It is the Swedish Police Authority that examines permit applications for demonstrations. We kindly refer questions about this to the Swedish Police Authority,” it added.

Protestors on Friday night attempted to storm the Danish embassy in Baghdad after a rightwing figure set a copy of the holy book and Iraqi flag on fire.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), a humanitarian organization, was attacked on Saturday in the southern Basra province without suffering any casualties, the NGO said in a statement.