Iran raps Sweden for authorizing Qur’an burning event

In a repeated and state-authorized instance of sacrilege against the Muslim holy book, two men stood outside the Swedish capital of Stockholm's central mosque on Wednesday and burned a copy of the Muslim holy book following a go-ahead given to them by a Swedish court.

The move was made to coincide with the Muslim festivity of Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice), which marks the conclusion of the annual Hajj pilgrimage that is partaken by millions of Muslims from across the world.

Speaking on Thursday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry's spokesman Nasser Kan'ani denounced in the strongest terms the Swedish government's authorization of repetition of such act of sacrilege by Sweden-based Islamophobes, who have similarly insulted the holy book on several occasions in the past.

"[Sweden's] paving the way for repetition of [acts of] sacrilege against divine sanctities, especially in coincidence with the [international] Muslim Nation's holy occasions and [their] millions-strong participation in the international Hajj congregation, amounts to a provocative, injudicious, and unacceptable act," he said.

Acts of insult against holy books serve as an instance of inclination towards aggression and hatemongering, and counter authentic human rights values, the spokesman noted.

Stockholm, he concluded, is advised to prevent the repetition of acts of insult against international sanctities in the future, and pay serious attention to the principles of responsibility and accountability in this regard.

Sweden regularly brooks and even approves of such acts of sacrilege under the banner of tolerating "protests."

In January, dual Danish and Swedish extremist Rasmus Paludan burned a copy of the Holy Qur'an in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, and later again in front of a mosque.