Saudi Arabia summons the Swedish embassy’s charge d'affaires

Shafaq News / Late on Thursday night, Saudi Arabia declared that it will summon the Swedish embassy's charge d'affaires to convey its disapproval of Stockholm for allowing a gathering, the organizer of which allegedly intended to burn a copy of the Quran.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry announced that it will summon the charge d'affaires of the Swedish embassy in the Kingdom and present him with a protest note demanding that his government take any necessary measures to put an end to these despicable acts, which violate all religious teachings, as well as international law and norms.

The Iraqi refugee in Sweden, Silwan Momika, repeatedly stepped on the Quran in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm on Thursday amid the protection of Swedish police. However, he left without burning it as he did less than a month earlier, as a crowd of people gathered in front of him to protest his act.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry vehemently denounced "the repeated and irresponsible actions of the Swedish authorities by granting some extremists official permits to burn and desecrate copies of the Holy Qur’an, in an act that is a systematic provocation to millions of Muslims around the world."

The ministry affirmed "the Kingdom's rejection of such acts that fuel interreligious hatred and limit dialogue between peoples."

Furthermore, the Swedish embassy in Baghdad was set ablaze as a result of protests in Iraq that were sparked by the announcement that the Swedish government would permit the demonstration. This also caused diplomatic tension that resulted in the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador from Baghdad and the summoning of the Iraqi charge d'affaires in Stockholm.

The Iraqi authorities also announced the suspension of the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson in Iraq over the same case.