Brussels-Stockholm: Europe and the Arabs and agencies
Today, Saturday, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the departure of the Iraqi Chargé d'Affairs in Sweden, against the background of the Iraqi refugee Silwan Momica, who repeatedly violated the Holy Quran in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm.
In a statement reported by Alsumaria News, the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Al-Sahaf, stated that, in accordance with the directives of the Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani, and in implementation of the procedures that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working on in this regard, the Iraqi Chargé d'Affairs left the Kingdom of Sweden.
This comes against the background of the so-called Silwan Momica tearing up a copy of the Qur’an and the Iraqi flag in front of the Baghdad embassy in Stockholm, in the second incident of the same person in late June, after the Swedish authorities allowed him to target Muslim sanctities.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, the Arab Republic of Egypt condemned, in the strongest terms, the Swedish authorities' allowing an extremist to repeat the assault and tearing of the Holy Qur'an in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, in a blatant challenge that goes beyond the limits of freedom of expression and provokes the feelings of millions of Muslims around the world, violating their sanctities.
Egypt expressed its deep concern about the recurrence of incidents of contempt for religion, the spread of Islamophobia, and the rise of hate speech in many countries, which heralds serious and impactful repercussions on the security and stability of societies and the enjoyment of human rights.
Egypt stressed the need for states to assume their responsibilities in confronting these crimes, preventing their recurrence and holding perpetrators accountable, and the importance of states respecting their international obligations to promote peaceful coexistence and social harmony and spread a culture of tolerance and acceptance of the other.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it summoned the charge d’affaires of the Swedish embassy in the Kingdom and handed him a protest note, regarding the repeated and irresponsible behavior of the Swedish authorities in granting some extremists official permits that authorize them to burn and desecrate copies of the Holy Quran.
And the Saudi Foreign Ministry said - in a statement reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) / Friday / - "Furthermore to the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Muharram 2, 1445 AH, corresponding to July 20, 2023 AD, regarding the repeated and irresponsible actions of the Swedish authorities by granting some extremists official permits that authorize them to burn and desecrate copies of the Holy Qur'an, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today summoned the charge d'affaires of the Swedish embassy to the Kingdom and handed him a protest note that includes the Kingdom's request to the Swedish authorities to take action. All immediate and necessary measures to stop these disgraceful acts, which violate all religious teachings, international laws and norms," affirming the Kingdom's categorical rejection of all these acts that fuel hatred between religions.
The Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned today, Friday, the tearing up of a copy of the Holy Quran by an extremist in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, in a disgraceful act that provokes the feelings of Muslims around the world and incites extremism and hatred.
According to the Bahrain News Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its total rejection of such repeated actions and practices that are inconsistent with all human values and freedom of religion and belief, stressing that it will summon the Swedish ambassador to the Kingdom to hand him an official note of protest against the continued permission of some extremists to desecrate the Holy Quran, and demands that it take legal measures to prevent such abusive practices that violate religious teachings and lead to the spread of sedition, fanaticism and extremism.