Holy Quran desecration outside Türkiye, Egypt embassies in Denmark enrages Muslims

COPENHAGEN: Just a day after demonstrators desecrated the Holy Book in front of the Iraqi embassy in Denmark, more copies of the Quran were burnt in front of the Egyptian and Turkish embassies in Copenhagen on Tuesday, bringing anguish and distress to Muslims all over the world.

In a statement indicating a clean chit to the perpetrators of such acts under so-called freedom of speech, Denmark and Sweden said they deplore the burning but cannot prevent it as it falls under rules of “protecting freedom of speech”.

Protestors last week burnt the Swedish embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad as a response to the unholy act, which enraged billions of Muslims, according to a report.

Tuesday’s demonstration in Copenhagen by a group called “Danish Patriots” followed Holy Quran burnings the group staged Monday and last week in front of the Iraqi embassy. Two such incidents have taken place in Sweden over the past month.

Iraq’s foreign ministry called on authorities of EU countries to “quickly reconsider so-called freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate in light of the Holy Quran burnings.”

Turkiye said it strongly condemned what it called a “despicable attack” on the Holy Quran and called on Denmark to take necessary measures to prevent this “hate crime” against Islam.

The Egyptian foreign ministry on Tuesday also summoned Sweden’s charge d’affaires to condemn the desecration of the Holy Quran.