PETALING JAYA: Malaysia strongly condemns Swedish authorities for granting approval for an Iraqi living in Sweden to burn a copy of the Quran outside Stockholm’s main mosque yesterday, says foreign minister Zambry Abdul Kadir.
“The desecration of the Holy Book, while Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid Al-Adha, is very offensive to Muslims worldwide. It violates the universal principle of respect and understanding towards all religions and their holy scriptures,” said Zambry in a tweet.
The incident has sparked international outrage, with the US, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Morocco and Jordan among the countries which have condemned it.
Reuters reported that Swedish police granted permission for a protest in which the organiser planned to burn the Quran. The man was later charged with agitation against an ethnic or national group.
Police said the security risks associated with the burning “were not of a nature that could justify, under current laws, a decision to reject the request”.
Although Swedish police have rejected several recent applications for anti-Quran demonstrations, courts have overruled those decisions, saying they infringed on freedom of speech.
In January, Swedish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan’s burning of the Quran sparked outrage among Muslims worldwide.
In Malaysia, around 400 people marched to the Swedish embassy to protest the Swedish government’s inaction regarding the incident. - FMT
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