Newsnomics AJAY ANGELINA reporters |

“Islamophobic” is an act of burning Quran was held by an Iraqi citizen living in Sweden, Salwan Momika, 37, stomped on the Holy Quran and set several pages alight outside Stockholm’s main mosque on Wednesday June 28, coincided with the start of the Eidul Azha holiday and the end of the annual Haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, sparked a great anger across the Muslim globe.

The Swedish government on Sunday, condemned the desecration of the holy Quran outside Stockholm’s main mosque that deeply wounded the hearts of Muslim world and called the incident an “Islamophobic.” 

“The Swedish Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “we fully understand the Islamophobic acts committed by

individuals at demonstrations in Sweden can be offensive to Muslims.” 

“We strongly condemn these acts, which in no way reflect the views of the Swedish government,” it added.

The Swedish government condemnation came in response of a call for collective measures, taken by the Saudi-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) include 57 members met at its Jeddah headquarters to avoid the future burnings.

The OIC urged the member states to “take unified and collective measures to prevent the recurrence of incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran,” read the statement released after the “extraordinary” meeting in Jeddah.

“Islamophobic” act outside the Stockholm Central Mosque prompted international condemnation from all Muslim world, also causes hundreds of protests around the Muslim countries on this hatred act.

Saudi Arabia has summoned Sweden’s ambassador to denounce a Quran burning outside a Stockholm Mosque. The government said, “to stop all actions that directly contradict international efforts seeking to spread the values of tolerance, moderation and rejection of extremism, and undermine the necessary mutual respect for relations between peoples and states,” reported by the official Saudi Press Agency.

Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco, also have summoned the Swedish ambassadors in protest.

Morocco went beyond a statement of condemnation and recalled its ambassador to Sweden for an indefinite period.

Kuwait in condemnation called on the international community and governments “to take responsibility for swift action to renounce feelings of hatred, extremism and religious intolerance”, said the burning was a “dangerous, provocative step that inflames the feelings of Muslims around the world”.

Iraq summoned the Swedish ambassador to Iraq and called the act “racist” and “irresponsible”, adding that it condemns “the repeated acts of burning copies of the holy Quran by individuals with extremist and disturbed minds”.

Iraqi Government said, “they are not only racist but also promote violence and hatred.” 

“These irresponsible actions, in direct conflict with the values of respect for diversity and the beliefs of others, are unequivocally condemned,” the government added.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani said “the government and people of the Islamic Republic of Iran… do not tolerate such an insult and strongly condemn it.” 

“While Muslims are performing the Haj… insulting their sanctities merely serves the path of spreading hatred and violence, exploiting the principle of freedom of expression,” Iranian state media said, citing a statement by the ministry.

Pakistan strongly condemned the “despicable act” of the public burning of a copy of the Holy Quran in Sweden on the occasion of Eidul Azha and issued a statement in condemnation of the abhorrent incident that read, “Such willful incitement to discrimination, hatred and violence cannot be justified under the pretext of freedom of expression and protest.” 

“The right to freedom of expression and opinion does not provide a license to stoke hatred and sabotage inter-faith harmony” read the statement issued by the Foreign Office, Pakistan.

Turkey slammed Sweden over the incident, saying “Ankara will never bow down to a policy of provocation or threat.”

“We will teach the arrogant Western people that it is not freedom of expression to insult the sacred values of  Muslims,” said the Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, a day earlier tweeted, “It is unacceptable to allow these anti-Islamic actions under the pretext of freedom of expression. Turning a blind eye to such atrocious acts is to be complicit.”

The United States condemned the burning, “We believe the demonstration created an environment of fear that will impact the ability of Muslims and members of other religious minority groups from freely exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief in Sweden,” US Department of State spokesperson Matt Miller said.

“We also believe that issuing the permit for this demonstration supports freedom of expression is not an endorsement of the demonstration’s actions” he added.

Egypt expressed its deep concern and total rejection of all reprehensible practices like burning the Holy Quran, the recent escalation of Islamophobia and crimes of blasphemy of religions in some European countries that affect the constants and religious beliefs of Muslims.

Jordan on Thursday summoned the Swedish ambassador in Amman, informed her of the country’s strong protest and condemned the act, calling it “racist” and an “incitement”.

“The Ministry affirmed that burning the Holy Quran is an act of dangerous hate, and a manifestation of Islamophobia that incites violence and insulting religions and cannot be considered a form of freedom of expression at all,” the kingdom said in a statement.

The Yemeni government called for an end to the “repeated abuses” stemming from a “culture of hatred” and rejected the incident as one “deliberately provoking the feelings of Muslims around the world on holy Islamic occasions by a hateful extremist movement.” 

Syria’s government condemned the “disgraceful act” on one of the holiest days for Muslims “by an extremist with the permission and consent of the Swedish government”.

The Palestinian foreign ministry called the desecration a “flagrant attack on human rights, values of tolerance, acceptance of others, democracy and peaceful coexistence among followers of all religions”.

Qatar condemned the Swedish authorities’ permission to burn copies of the Quran calling it a “heinous” act to have especially occurred on the Eid day.