The United Arab Emirates summoned the top Swedish diplomat in the country on Friday to protest the newest attack on the Quran in Stockholm, the UAE Foreign Ministry confirmed.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned the Charge d’Affaires at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden to the UAE, and handed her an official note of protest against the repeated attacks and abuses on copies of the Holy Quran committed by extremists in the Kingdom of Sweden," it said.

The ministry criticized the Swedish government for allowing an event, during which a copy of the Quran was stomped on, to take place outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm on Thursday. Iraq expelled the Swedish ambassador the same day.

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The UAE Foreign Ministry condemned the Nordic nation for demonstrating a lack of respect for social values as well as its attempts to use freedom of expression to justify such "heinous acts".

Elsewhere, the statement underlined that religious symbols should be respected.

#Arab and #Muslim-majority nations have strongly condemned the desecration of the #Quran by far-right activists in #Sweden, which has led to a diplomatic crisis between some #MENA countries and #Stockholm.#QuranBurning pic.twitter.com/0PvS2C9gBW

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 21, 2023

Earlier on Friday, massive demonstrations were held in Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, and Yemen as protesters denounced the desecration of the Holy Quran in Stockholm, Sweden.

Protests erupted in #Iraq, #Iran, and #Lebanon against the most recent desecration of the Holy #Quran in #Sweden. Protesters chanted against the #Swedish government for accepting such an act to occur for the second time.#QuranBurning pic.twitter.com/vneVWpKbNV

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 21, 2023