Pope Francis condemns 'barbaric' Quran burnings
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In a letter to Argentinian Shia scholar Abdul Karim Paz, the Pope expressed that such blasphemous acts stifle international dialogue between people.
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Pope Francis speaking to journalists aboard the papal flight back from Canada on Saturday, July 30, 2022. (AP)
Pope Francis has condemned recent Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark, referring to the act as "barbaric," and adding that such blasphemous acts stifle international dialogue.
He made the statements in a letter to Argentinian Muslim scholar Abdul Karim Paz, a representative of Argentina's Islamic foundation, on Tuesday.
Last week, Abdul Karim Paz issued a letter to the head of the Catholic Church in which he criticized the recurrent actions of burning copies of the sacred Muslim book as being against Abrahamic unity.
“The story of burning the Holy Quran is really a barbaric act. These cases harm and prevent mature dialog between people,” the Pope expressed.
The Pope previously expressed his "anger and disgust" over the burning of the Quran in Sweden in June.
"I feel indignant and disgusted by these actions," he said.
Read more: 'Terror' threats increased over Quran burnings, Swedish police says
He urged people to embrace the principles espoused in the Document on Human Fraternity in an interview for the United Arab Emirates newspaper Al-Ittihad.
“Any book considered Holy must be respected out of respect for those who believe in it. And freedom of expression should never be used as an excuse to despise others," the religious leader stated.
Nasrallah: Islamic govs stance on Quran burning is disappointing
"The stance of Islamic countries in defending the Holy Quran is weak and disappointing," Sayyed Nasrallah said Monday during the Ashura march commemorating the 13th of Muharram in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh.
"There is a Mossad agent who is desecrating Islamic sanctities under the protection of the Swedish police. his actions constitute an insult to two billion Muslims in the world," Nasrallah said.
"If the insult had been directed at a king or a member of their family, they would have been upturned in fury. As for the burning of the Quran, they did nothing."
Yesterday, Swedish police granted a permit for a protest outside the Swedish parliament in which the organizers planned to burn the Quran, sparking diplomatic tensions and concerns over security.
The organizers of the protest expressed their desire to see the Muslim holy book banned in Sweden. One of the leading organizers, Salwan Najem, vowed to burn it repeatedly until the ban was implemented.
In addition, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has called for collective responsibility and worldwide criminalization of the desecration of the Muslim holy book.
Read next: UN Human Rights Council condemns Quran burning
Several Muslim countries have protested the burning of the Quran, and the Iraqi government on July 20 expelled Sweden's ambassador to the country and severed its ties with Stockholm in response to the repeated Quran burnings in Sweden, which were permitted by the Swedish government.
Salwan Momika, an Iraqi-born refugee living in Sweden burned a copy of the Quran on June 28 outside Stockholm's main mosque. Momika was granted a permit from Swedish authorities before carrying out his act.
Iran's security ministry recently revealed that Salwan Momika was born in Iraq in 1986 and started working for the Israeli Mossad in 2019.
