Iran summons Danish ambassador again over Quran desecration

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
7 Aug 2023 22:07

The Iranian foreign ministry summoned Denmark's ambassador to protest "the desecration of the Quran in Copenhagen."

Denmark's Ambassador to Tehran, Jasper Vahr. (ICANA/IR)

Iran has summoned Denmark's Ambassador to Tehran, Jasper Vahr, to protest the repeated burning of the Holy Quran in Copenhagen.

"This morning, Denmark's ambassador to Tehran was summoned ... to the foreign ministry to protest against the repeated acts of desecration of the Holy Quran," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said at a press conference on Monday.

Kanaani explained that the ambassador "has been asked to immediately convey Iran's protest to his government," adding that Iran expects Denmark to take responsible measures that would prevent the recurrence of such sacrilegious acts.

Last week, extremists desecrated the Quran in front of the embassies of five Muslim countries in Copenhagen.

Kanaani stated that the Danish envoy briefed the Iranian Foreign Ministry on measures his government plans to take to prevent such desecrations, added that Tehran expects the Nordic country to take action in this regard.

The desecration of the Holy Quran, according to the spokesperson, is "an ignoble Zionist project."

Nonetheless, he held Denmark and Sweden responsible for enabling such "horrible" acts to occur on their soil, emphasizing that such activities violate international norms and the UN Charter.

Last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian called for collective responsibility and worldwide criminalization of the desecration of the Muslim holy book.

After a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on July 31st, he was quoted by Tasnim calling the recent occurrences "bitter events," as he explained that Islamic countries should exert pressure on European governments "to swiftly put an end to such provocative actions and hold the perpetrators accountable and punish them within the framework of the law."

Late last month, the Danish Ambassador was called by Iran's Foreign Ministry in connection with a similar occurrence in his country. Several times in recent weeks, extremists have desecrated the Holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark, whose governments have sanctioned and defended such insults as "freedom of expression."

The heinous acts have infuriated the entire Muslim community around the world. Swedish and Danish diplomats have been called or expelled from several countries. The Nordic countries have condemned the burning of the Quran but claim that they are powerless to stop it due to constitutional provisions guaranteeing free speech.