Iraq strongly condemns the Quran burning outside the Iraqi embassy in Denmark and urges European countries to prevent similar actions in the future, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said on Monday
CAIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th July, 2023) Iraq strongly condemns the Quran burning outside the Iraqi embassy in Denmark and urges European countries to prevent similar actions in the future, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said on Monday.
Earlier in the day, members of the Danish Patriots extremist group set fire to a copy of the Quran in front of the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen. The protesters had done the same thing on Friday. The action was broadcast on social media. The Danish government condemned it as a provocation.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemns the repeated burning of a copy of the Quran in front of the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Denmark," the Iraqi ministry said in a statement.
The ministry noted that such actions allow extremism and hatred to threaten the peaceful coexistence of communities.
"The ministry calls on the authorities of the European Union member states to quickly review the so-called freedom of expression and the right to demonstration and develop a clear collective position to prevent these desecrations in front of the buildings of the embassies of the Republic of Iraq in their territories," the statement read.
Ministry spokesman Ahmed Al-Sahhaf additionally said that the diplomatic staff of the Danish mission in Baghdad had left Iraq two days ago.
Last week, the Swedish police gave Iraqi immigrant Salwan Momika the go-ahead to stage yet another Quran-burning protest. A previous act in June had sparked outrage in many Muslim countries.
Hundreds of Iraqi demonstrators stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad ahead of Momika's action, which took place Thursday in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm. In the end, the 37-year-old stepped on his copy of the Quran but did not burn it.
On June 28, the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, a protest took place outside Stockholm's main mosque, during which a Quran was burned. The Swedish police authorized the demonstration. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the authorization was "lawful but inappropriate." A similar demonstration took place in Sweden in January when Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan burned the Muslim holy book in front of the Turkish embassy.
