Yemen strongly condemns 'repeated offenses' against Quran in Sweden

The Yemeni government on Friday strongly condemned the "repeated offenses" against the Quran in Sweden after an Iraqi refugee trampled on a copy of the Islamic holy book during a protest in Stockholm on Thursday.

"Such actions, which aim to provoke Muslims' feelings and insult Islamic sanctities, run contrary to the principles of humanity and morality and have nothing to do with genuine freedom of expression," Yemen's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry added that "allowing extremists to perpetrate hatred and target Islamic beliefs not only harms Sweden's reputation but also strains its relations with Islamic countries."

The ministry demanded that the Swedish government take immediate actions to "put an end to those reckless behaviors and prevent any recurrence of such offense," which it says is "incompatible with the fundamental right to freedom of faith."

The ministry also called upon the international community to denounce the offenses against the Quran in Sweden and stand united against any attempts to exploit freedom of expression to fuel hatred and division among religious groups.

On Thursday, an Iraqi refugee who burned a copy of the Quran last month stomped on the holy book during a demonstration in Stockholm.

(Xinhua)