The Iraqi government has taken a firm stance against the burning of the Quran in Stockholm, and it has officially informed Sweden of its intention to sever diplomatic relations with the kingdom if such an action is ever repeated. The press service of the prime minister of the Arab republic made this announcement on Thursday.
In a statement published on the Iraqi prime minister's press service's Twitter page, the Iraqi government emphasized its position, stating, "The Iraqi government confirms that it has informed the Swedish government through diplomatic channels of its intention to sever diplomatic relations with Sweden in the event of a repeat of the Quran-burning incident on its territory and authorizing it under the pretext of freedom of speech."
The situation has escalated, leading to an emergency meeting held by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani in response to Swedish authorities' authorization of a new Quran-burning action and the subsequent attack on the kingdom's embassy in Baghdad.
"The participants of the meeting condemned the burning of the Swedish embassy, and regarded it as a serious security breach that demands immediate resolution and accountability for those responsible for the security of the diplomatic mission," the statement reads.
Earlier, Al Arabiya TV reported that hundreds of protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on Thursday night, setting fire to the diplomatic building after Stockholm police authorized a new Quran-burning rally outside the Arab republic's embassy. In response to the situation, Baghdad's security forces used water cannons to disperse the demonstrators, and Iraq's Foreign Ministry condemned the actions of the protesters. The Swedish embassy, in light of the developments, suspended its work until further notice.
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Photo: Dominique A. Pineiro/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS