Iranians protest in Tehran on January 27, 2023 against the burning of a Koran in Sweden.
After a protester set the Quran on fire in front of a mosque in Stockholm, Sweden, the government of Iran has decided not to send a replacement ambassador to the country.
Repercussions of Quran-Burning in Sweden
On the first day of Eid al-Adha, an Iraqi refugee burned a copy of the Quran outside a mosque. Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian of Iran has accused the Swedish administration of wrongdoing by issuing him a license for a demonstration, BBC reported.
Riots broke out in Sweden recently because of plans to burn copies of the Quran. Recently, police had denied similar protest petitions, but judges concluded that they should be permitted based on free speech concerns.
Damage or disrespect shown to the Quran is considered a grave insult by Muslims who revere it as God's message.
According to Amirabdollahian, even if Iran's capital Tehran has appointed a new ambassador, they will not be sending them. In a Reuters report, he added, "The process of dispatching them has been held off due to the Swedish government's issuing of a permit to desecrate the Holy Koran."
Iraq's foreign ministry has also requested that the Swedish authorities extradite the guy responsible for burning the Quran. Since he is still an Iraqi citizen, they said, he should be prosecuted in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq.
Following the event, hundreds of Iraqi demonstrators, incited by the renowned Shia preacher Moqtaha al-Sadr, stormed the Swedish embassy in Iraq. A security team was dispatched after 15 minutes, and they departed.
The Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, condemned the embassy attack but also said his country needed to look deeper into its own identity.
"It is of course completely unacceptable for people to unlawfully break into Swedish embassies in other countries. I think we also need to reflect in Sweden. It is a serious security situation, there is no reason to insult other people," Kristersson stated.
Also Read: Iraq Criticizes Sweden After Man Burns a Copy of the Quran During a Police-Authorized Protest
A Call To Prohibit the Promotion of Religious Bigotry
On Sunday, July 2, BBC reported that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation held an emergency meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It demanded that member nations adopt "unified and collective measures" to prevent countries from burning copies of the Quran.
Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha called the Quran burnings "not mere ordinary Islamophobia incidents." He exhorted governments all across the globe to comply with international law, which categorically forbids the encouragement of any kind of religious hatred.
After the event, many nations summoned back their ambassadors from Stockholm, including Morocco, Kuwait, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates.
Some countries with Muslim majorities, like NATO member Turkey, which might influence Sweden's membership application, are also upset about this. The country's foreign minister said tolerating anti-Islam marches in the name of free speech was unacceptable.
Also Read: Sweden Permits Koran-Burning Rally Outside Mosque, Risking Turkey's Ire
