Iranian Foreign Minister Criticizes Sweden for Holy Quran Desecration

"The Muslim world categorically condemns insult to holy scriptures & Quran. Allowing sacrilege & insult to Quran under any justification by Sweden is unacceptable," he stated in a Twitter message.

"Misusing democracy & freedom for such behavior would just only incite terrorism & extremism. The West only burns its fingers," he further said.

Earlier on Thursday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned Sweden's chargé d'affaires to protest the burning of the Holy Quran and the passive response of Swedish officials to such unacceptable behavior. The Swedish diplomat was presented with an official protest note during the meeting, which was held in the absence of Sweden's ambassador to Tehran.

The Iranian diplomat at the Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the desecration of the Holy Quran and criticized the Swedish government's passive stance and silence regarding the violation of the basic human right of respecting religious and divine values.

In related news, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani also strongly condemned the state-authorized insult to the Holy Quran in Sweden and called on the European country to take responsibility and address the issue seriously.

"Creating a platform for the repetition of sacrilege against celestial sanctities, especially during the sacred days of the Islamic world and the gathering of millions of Muslims at the world congress of hajj, is a provocative, unacceptable act," he stated.

The desecration, which took place outside Stockholm's central mosque, involved the burning of a Quran and coincided with the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, marking the conclusion of the annual hajj pilgrimage.

Kanaani emphasized that insulting heavenly scriptures goes against the fundamental values of human rights, portraying violence and hatred. He added that the Iranian government, like other Muslims and free thinkers worldwide, "do not tolerate such insults."