Saudi Arabia condemned the action of burning a Muslim holy book outside a mosque in central Stockholm on Eid al-Adha, the holiday of sacrifice.
"There can be no justification for these actions, as they are clearly aimed at inciting hatred and hostility and are a manifestation of racism," the Saudi Ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement issued Thursday. According to the MFA, such actions are fraught with negative consequences for "relations between different peoples and states."
Similar reactions followed from the Iraqi government and the foreign ministries of Egypt and Jordan, which called the action a manifestation of Islamophobia. The Ministry of foreign affairs of Jordan stressed that burning a holy book of Muslims should not be equated with the right to freedom of speech and expression.
The action took place with police permission Wednesday at Medborgarplatsen Square in downtown Stockholm. Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old immigrant from Iraq, tore pages from the Quran and set it on fire. On that day, Muslims around the world were celebrating Eid al-Adha, one of the major religious holidays in Islam.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Mucahit YIldIz/Pixabay
Based on materials from TASS