Pakistan summons Swedish Charge d’Affairs to protest desecration of Holy Quran

Pakistan on Wednesday registered a strong protest against the desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden by summoning the Swedish Charge d’Affairs in Islamabad.

Acting Foreign Secretary Cyrus Qazi informed the Charge d’Affairs about Pakistan’s serious concern over the repeated incidents of burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden.

The diplomat was told that such incidents were fomenting Islamophobia worldwide and causing heartache to billions of Muslims. The acting foreign secretary said that such incidents under the guise of freedom of expression are unacceptable.

The protest from Pakistan follows similar diplomatic actions by other Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, after an Iraqi refugee desecrated the Holy Quran on the first day of Eidul Azha in Stockholm with court permission.

The heads of state of Muslim countries, including Turkey, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Iraq, Iran, Senegal, and Morocco, condemned the vile act.

The European Union condemned the desecration of the holy book in a statement last week.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), a bloc of over 50 Muslim nations, called for collective measures to prevent acts of desecration of the Quran and said that international law should be used to stop religious hatred after the holy book was burned in a protest in Sweden.