Reactions to Quran burning in Denmark, Sweden continue

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
24 Jul 2023 18:53

Iraq condemns Quran burning outside the Danish Embassy, and Algeria summons Denmark and Sweden's envoys.

Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs website)

The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned on Monday the repeated burning of a copy of the Holy Quran outside the Iraqi embassy in Denmark, state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.

Earlier on Monday, two people burned a copy of the Holy Quran outside the Iraqi embassy in the Danish capital, Copenhagen.

In a statement, the Ministry underlined that it "condemns, in repeated and strict terms, the repeated burning of a copy of the Noble Quran in front of the building of the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Denmark."

"These systematic actions allow the contagion of extremism and hatred to pose a real threat to peaceful coexistence," the statement pointed out.

The statement called on authorities in EU countries to "reconsider what is called freedom of expression and the right to protest," adding that "there should be a clear collective stance to prevent these offenses in front of the embassy buildings of the Republic of Iraq on their territories."

The Iraqi Ministry indicated that "silence and failure to take clear measures that prevent the perpetrators of these actions and hold them legally accountable have paved the way for rampant dangerous behavior."

Elsewhere, the statement reiterated "the position of the government of Iraq calling for international resolutions and instruments to criminalize these acts, consider respecting religious symbols and sacred books in an equal and transparent manner, without discrimination based on religion and race."

On its part, Algeria summoned the Danish ambassador and the Swedish chargé d'affaires to condemn the continuation of the attacks on copies of the Koran, the Algerian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

In Yemen, massive crowds rallied in the capital Sanaa on Monday as a resolute response to the heinous act of burning copies of the Holy Quran.

The demonstrators expressed their unwavering support for the sanctity of the Book of Muslims and all Islamic sacred values, firmly rejecting any form of disrespect toward them.

According to the march's statement, "Western governments have accepted for themselves to be a pliant tool in the hands of global Zionism seeking to spread all kinds of corruption in the world," stressing that the repeated arson crimes nullify all Western claims of "democracy and freedom of expression."

"It is not enough for the governments of Sweden and Denmark to stop issuing burning licenses," the statement continued, calling on the European governments to apologize to all Muslims and pledge not to grant permissions for the burning of the Holy Quran again.

The statement also demanded that Islamic countries hold an emergency summit in which they would uphold the sanctity of the Holy Quran and agree on “specific policies to respond to governments that insult the Book of God.”

"We call on the Muslim nations to assume responsibility" toward the Holy Quran "through all available means" and to work on "boycotting Swedish and Danish goods and the goods of any country that dares to violate the Holy Quran or any of the sanctities of Islam and Muslims."

Yemenis also saluted the Arab and Islamic governments that expelled the Swedish ambassador, urging "all Islamic countries" to follow suit and sever ties with Sweden and Denmark.

"This is the least they can do."

In an address during the demonstrations, an advisor to the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, Mohammad Muftah, requested that "Sweden and Denmark hand over the criminals who burned copies of the Holy Quran" while also greeting "the Iraqi people, the Iraqi government, and all the free people in Lebanon and the Islamic world, who came out in support of the Book of God."

The participants burned the Israeli and American flags, as they are "symbols of arrogance and of those who stand behind crimes against Islamic sanctities."

On its part, Turkey strongly condemned the "despicable attack" on the Quran outside Iraq's embassy in Copenhagen and called on Denmark to take necessary measures to prevent this "hate crime" against Islam, the Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

This comes a couple of days after a Danish far-right anti-Islam group burned a copy of the Quran and an Iraqi flag outside Iraq's embassy in Copenhagen, after which the Danish Foreign Ministry condemned the act, describing it as a provocation that would espouse sedition between religious and cultural groups.