.jpg?20260313')
Bahrain has strongly condemned the desecration of a copy of the Holy Quran by an extremist in the Swedish capital, terming it a disgraceful and provocative act that incites extremism and fuels hatred.
The Foreign Ministry yesterday expressed its total rejection of such repeated actions that are inconsistent with human values and freedom of religion and belief.
The ministry, in a statement, announced that it would summon the Swedish ambassador, residing in Abu Dhabi, Liselott Andersson to hand her a note of protest against the continued authorisation of extremists to desecrate the Quran.
Muslim-majority nations across the world expressed their outrage after anti-Islam protesters, one of whom is an Iraqi immigrant to Sweden who burned the Quran outside a Stockholm mosque in June, applied for and received permission from Swedish police to burn the Quran outside the Iraqi embassy on Thursday. In the event, the protesters partially destroyed a Quran but left the area after an hour without setting it alight.
GCC countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar have also summoned their Swedish diplomats to condemn the ‘shameful’ desecration.
Thousands of people took to the streets yesterday in Iraq, Iran, Lebanon and Pakistan to protest the extremist act.
GCC Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Albudaiwi rapped the continued provocations against Muslims and urged the Swedish authorities to take immediate action to hold extremists accountable.
“These heinous acts of incitement which are contrary to the principles of tolerance and freedom of religion are indicative of hatred and extremism,” he added.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit asserted that tolerance of hate speech and extremism do not represent freedom of opinion and expression, noting that “any confusion between these concepts will only fan the flames of extremism and violence on the part of those who wait for such an opportunity to spread their poison and foment destructive ideas”.
Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha echoed similar sentiments. He expressed deep disappointment that the Swedish authorities continued to issue permissions for such protests despite its alarming consequences.
“Freedom of expression and opinion carries responsibilities under international law, which clearly prohibits any incitement to religious hatred, intolerance and discrimination,” he said.
Mr Taha urged the Swedish authorities to stop issuing permissions for extremist groups and individuals to prevent the recurrence of such provocative actions.
Thursday’s Quran desecration was the second to involve the Iraqi man in Sweden, identified as Salwan Momika. Last month, a man identified by local media and on his social media as Momika burned a Quran outside a Stockholm mosque during the major Muslim holiday of Eid Al Adha, triggering widespread condemnation in the Islamic world.
The GDN yesterday reported that Iraqi protesters torched the Swedish embassy and Baghdad ordered the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador from Iraq and the withdrawal of the Iraqi charge d’affaires from Sweden after the extremist desecrated the Quran in Stockholm on Thursday.
Work permit probe – Page 8
&uuid=(email))