Danish Foreign Ministry condemns Koran burning in Copenhagen

Burning sacred texts and other religious symbols is a shameful act, said the Danish Foreign Ministry, commenting on the burning of the Koran in Copenhagen, transmits TASS with reference to the department.

“The Danish government condemns the burning of the Koran. Burning sacred texts and other religious symbols is a shameful act that does not respect the religion of others,” the statement said.

The ministry called the burning of the Koran a provocative act, “which hurts many people and creates a split between different religions and cultures.” They recalled that there is freedom of religion in the kingdom, and many subjects profess Islam. At the same time, Copenhagen emphasizes that the country supports the right to protest, but it must remain peaceful.

The Copenhagen police earlier reported that during the action near the Iraqi embassy on Friday, July 21, a “book” was burned, while it was not specified that it was a copy of the Koran that was destroyed. The demonstration, as noted, was organized by the right-wing radical group Danish Patriots.

On July 20, mass protests began in Baghdad near the building of the Swedish embassy. The reason was another permission from the police to hold a rally with the burning of the Koran, which was issued on July 19. A spokesman for the Stockholm police said in a conversation with AFP that the police did give permission for a public gathering near the Iraqi embassy in Sweden, but did not specify the demonstrators’ plans. According to media reports, the protesters explained in a letter that they would like to burn the Koran and the flag of Iraq, Al Arabiya reported. Baghdad accepted the decision to expel the Swedish ambassador from Iraq and recall the country’s charge d’affaires in Stockholm.