Egypt: Quran burnings in Sweden go beyond free speech

CAIRO – 21 July 2023: Egypt has strongly condemned Swedish authorities for allowing an extremist to burn and tear apart the Quran repeatedly in the capital, Stockholm.

“This is a blatant challenge that goes beyond freedom of expression, provokes the feelings of millions of Muslims around the world and violates their sanctities,” the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday.

Egypt expressed its deep concern about the recurrence of incidents of contempt of religion, the spread of Islamophobia and the rise of hate speech in many countries.

The ministry expressed concerns that such incidents can lead to “serious and impactful repercussions on the security and stability of societies and the enjoyment of human rights.”

Egypt stressed the need for countries to shoulder their responsibilities in order to face these crimes, prevent their recurrence and hold the perpetrators accountable.

Egypt also called for the countries to respect their international commitments in enhancing peaceful coexistence, social harmony and the culture of tolerance and acceptance of the other.

On Thursday, Silwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee residing in Sweden, stepped on and kicked the Quran, Muslims’ holy book, outside the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm in a protest authorized by Swedish police.

In response, the Iraqi government ordered the Swedish ambassador in Baghdad to leave the country, recalling its charge d'affaires in Sweden and suspending business with Swedish companies.

Momika also burned the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm in June in a protest approved by police.

Also, a far-right extremist from Denmark carried out a Quran burning outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, causing a major rift in the relations between Turkey and Sweden.