Saudi Arabia condemns Quran burning in Sweden

Riyadh, Oct 2

Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned the burning of a copy of the Islamic holy book of the Quran in the Swedish city of Malmo, a move which the kingdom says was carried out with "the knowledge of the local authorities".

The Saudi Foreign Ministry on Sunday "reiterated the kingdom's rejection of such flagrant acts," and said such a move had inflamed the feelings of millions of Muslims worldwide, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Saudi Press Agency.

The ministry called on the Swedish authorities to deal with Quran desecrations in a timely manner and stop giving permission to those who plan to take similar actions.

Salwan Momika, an individual of Iraqi origin, tore pages of the Quran and burnt it in Malmo on Saturday. The Swedish police detained some individuals and turned away some others who tried to stop the move, Swedish media reported.

Over the past months, copies of the Quran have been repeatedly desecrated by anti-Islam individuals or groups in countries including Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, sparking outrage and criticism in Muslim-majority countries worldwide.