Iran Summons Sweden’s Envoy over New Insult to Quran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Swedish ambassador to Tehran was called to the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in protest at another case of desecration of the holy Quran in the European country.
The Swedish envoy was summoned on Thursday evening to file Iran’s strong protest against the new sacrilegious move.
Addressing the ambassador, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said, “We strongly condemn the repetition of the desecration of the holy Quran and the Islamic sanctities in Sweden and we believe that the Swedish government is fully responsible for the consequences of provoking the sentiments of world Muslims.”
Nasser Kanaani added that the continuation of insults to Islamic sanctities and hate-mongering by so doing are a perfect example of organized violence and a hostile move against two billion Muslims of the world, God-believing people and followers of divine religions, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.
The spokesman said, “How come a country which claims to be a defender of human rights and civil rights allows the rights of over two billion Muslims worldwide and nearly one million Swedish Muslim citizens to be violated?”
Referring to the recent resolution approved by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva against the desecration of the holy Quran, Kanaani said the Swedish government’s move to again allow the defiling of the holy Quran shows it is indifferent to the resolutions of international human rights bodies.
He demanded the Swedish government fulfill its international responsibilities in preventing the repetition of such regrettable acts which constitute a violation of human rights and are in contradiction to religious and human values.
Iran believes that any insult to religious sanctities and divine books anywhere by anyone is deplorable, he added, noting that any freedom of speech which is meant to violate the dignity, values and religious sanctities of good and God-loving people is not freedom of speech and has no value.
The Swedish ambassador said he would immediately convey Iran’s protest to his government.
On Thursday, Salwan Momik, a Sweden-based Iraqi refugee, had stomped on a copy of the Quran and kicked the Muslim holy book during a demonstration outside Stockholm’s main mosque amid strict protection provided for the rally by the Swedish police.
The act of sacrilege has opened the floodgates of protest across the world's Muslim community.
Hours before the planned desecration, hundreds of Iraqi protesters amassed outside the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, scaling its walls and setting fire to parts of it.
Baghdad expelled Sweden's envoy and withdrew its ambassador from Stockholm.
This was the second time Momik was disrespecting the Quran amid the approval of Sweden's authorities. He had set a copy of the holy book on fire last month too, prompting similar raging protests across the Muslim world and causing the Iranian Foreign Ministry to summon Sweden's chargé d'affaires.
