JABAR EKSPRES – The Danish government on Saturday (7/22) condemned the burning of copies of the holy Quran, calling the act a “shameful act” that disrespects other people’s religions.
Its Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Twitter that the provocative act hurt the feelings of many people and created divisions between different religions and cultures.
Freedom of religion is held in high esteem in Denmark. Many citizens in the country are Muslim. “They are a valuable part of the Danish population,” according to the statement.
The country believes that freedom of expression and assembly should be respected, the foreign ministry said.
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The ministry also added that “Denmark supports the right to protest but emphasizes that such protests must remain peaceful.”
On Friday (7/21), members of the right-wing Islamophobic nationalist group “Danske Patrioter” (Danish Patriots) burned copies of the Quran in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Earlier this week, Salwan Momikaz, a 37-year-old Iraqi refugee living in Sweden, stomped and kicked the Quran.
Momikaz did so just weeks after he burned pages of the holy book outside a mosque in Stockholm.
Meanwhile, in January this year, Rasmus Paludan, a far-right Danish leader, burned a copy of the Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm.
The incident sparked outrage and condemnation across the Islamic world.
A court in Turkey has issued an arrest warrant for Paludan following his Islamophobic actions.
An investigation launched by the Ankara Prosecutor General’s Office into Paludan on charges of “publicly insulting religious values” is underway.
As part of the investigation, the AGO requested Paludan’s detention to obtain information regarding the Quran burning.
Ankara’s 8th Peace Criminal Court, after evaluating the request, decided to issue an arrest warrant for the Danish politician.
