Protest Held in Stockholm against Desecration of Quran
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Hundreds of people gathered in Stockholm on Sunday to protest the burning of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, which occurred last month.
Organized by local Muslim associations, approximately 500 demonstrators assembled in Medborgarepaltsen Square, calling for such acts to be made illegal in the country.
The group issued a statement, emphasizing that burning the Quran constitutes an Islamophobic hate crime that deeply offends Muslims. They called for the prohibition of desecrating holy books, according to Anadolu news agency.
Mikail Yuksel, the leader of the Nyans (Nuance) party, expressed his disapproval of Quran burnings from a legal standpoint. Yuksel underscored the necessity of introducing legal amendments to address this issue, stating, "Burning the Quran is a hate crime and has no place in democracies."
Last month, an individual identified as Salwan Momika burned a copy of the Quran in front of Stockholm Mosque, under the protection of the police. The provocative act was deliberately timed to coincide with Eid al-Adha, a significant religious festival celebrated by Muslims worldwide.
The incident sparked widespread condemnation across the Islamic world, with countries such as Iran, Turkey, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Iraq, Pakistan, Senegal, and Mauritania expressing their disapproval.
This is not the first instance of Quran burning in Sweden. In January, a far-right politician set fire to a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm.