Arab and Islamic countries announced that they summoned Swedish ambassadors to condemn the attack on the Holy Quran, while new demonstrations took place in several capitals to denounce this act, which sparked widespread anger in the Islamic world.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that it had summoned yesterday the charge d'affaires at the Swedish embassy in Amman, "to convey a strongly worded message of protest to his country's government, after allowing an extremist to attack the Holy Quran again in the Swedish capital Stockholm and under police protection."
Before that, the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced that it had summoned the charge d'affaires of the Swedish embassy and handed him a note protesting the Swedish authorities' granting official permits to extremists who burned and desecrated copies of the Qur'an, and Riyadh called on Sweden to take all immediate and necessary measures to stop these acts, which it described as heinous.
The State of Qatar also condemned the attack on the Holy Quran and condemned the repeated allowing of such acts in Sweden. Qatar's Foreign Ministry said today it had summoned Sweden's ambassador in Doha and handed him a protest note demanding that Stockholm take action to stop these heinous practices.
In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani announced today that the Swedish ambassador had been summoned to protest the insult to the Holy Quran, adding that Sweden bears responsibility for the repercussions of provoking the feelings of Muslims around the world.
Later today, Iranian Foreign Minister Amir Hossein Abdollahian held a phone call with his Swedish counterpart, in which he strongly condemned the insult to the Holy Quran and declared his refusal to repeat these events.
In turn, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the repeated cases of tearing and burning the Holy Quran in Sweden, considering it a blatant challenge that goes beyond the limits of freedom of expression and provokes the feelings of millions of Muslims around the world and violates their sanctities.
4/ The #الأزهر calls on all Arab and Islamic peoples to continue to boycott all Swedish products in support of God and His Holy Book, and that all the free people of the world join this call, and stresses that any failure to take strict positions towards what Sweden produces is support for these crimes, and encouragement for these criminals.
— Al-Azhar (@AlAzhar) July 20, 2023
Also in Egypt, Al-Azhar said that Sweden has proven through its practices that it is the closest society to racism and the farthest from respect for religions and peoples, calling on all Arab and Muslim peoples to continue to boycott Swedish products.
After Turkey, Pakistan and many other Muslim countries, Azerbaijan today condemned the attack on the Holy Quran in Sweden and called on the Swedish authorities to take measures to prevent hate crimes on its territory.
Yesterday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed solidarity with Muslims and condemned acts of violence, intolerance and Islamophobia that exacerbate tensions and fuel extremism.
The condemnatory stances come after an Iraqi refugee in Sweden yesterday attacked the Holy Quran in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, and the same person burned a copy of the Koran last June under the protection of the Swedish police.
Demonstrations in several countries
Meanwhile, demonstrations condemning the attack on the Qur'an were renewed today in Baghdad and other Iraqi provinces.
Supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr's Sadrist movement staged vigils after Friday prayers to condemn the incident.
Protesters waved Iraqi flags and pictures of al-Sadr, chanting slogans condemning the incident by an Iraqi refugee in Sweden.
During these protests, demonstrators waved the Koran and burned the Swedish and gay flags.
A day after its embassy in Baghdad was burned, Sweden announced that embassy staff and operations were temporarily moving to Stockholm, for security reasons.
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Prime Minister's Adviser for Foreign Affairs Farhad Alaeddin said today that the work permit of the Swedish telecommunications company "Ericsson" has not been suspended, adding that the Iraqi government will respect all contractual agreements it has concluded.
The company said it was investigating reports that Iraqi authorities had suspended the work permits of the company's employees in Iraq, and a spokesman said that the burning and desecration of copies of the Holy Quran in Sweden was deeply offensive to the religious beliefs and values it cherishes.
In Lebanon, Hizbullah supporters demonstrated today after Friday prayers in response to a call made yesterday evening by Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
Hundreds took part in rallies held in front of several mosques in Beirut's southern suburbs and in other cities, including Baalbek (east) and Sidon (south).
In Tehran, hundreds of demonstrators demonstrated in Tehran after Friday prayers, waving Korans and chanting slogans including "Down with the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel and Sweden", while some set fire to the Swedish flag.