Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday its decision to summon the Swedish charge d’affaires in the country to condemn the burning and desecration of the Quran. The Saudi foreign ministry issued a statement strongly denouncing the actions of Swedish authorities for granting permits to extremists to burn and disrespect copies of the holy Quran.
The Saudi protest note will urge the Swedish authorities to take immediate and necessary measures to stop such disgraceful acts that systematically provoke the feelings of millions of Muslims worldwide, violating religious teachings, international laws, and norms. The Kingdom reiterated its stance against all actions that promote religious hatred.
In June, anti-Islam protesters, including an Iraqi immigrant to Sweden, burned the Quran outside a Stockholm mosque with permission from Swedish police. Recently, they applied for permission to burn the Quran outside the Iraqi Embassy but partially destroyed a book they claimed was the Quran without setting it alight.
The public display of Quran burning has drawn criticism from various quarters, including major Muslim states. Last week, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution titled “Countering religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility, or violence,” championed by Saudi Arabia.