UAE, Jordan Summons Swedish Ambassadors Over Quran Burning Campaign

The UAE Foreign Ministry summoned Swedish Ambassador Liselotte Anderson, expressing strong protest to her and condemning the action with the burning of the Koran in Stockholm, reported on the website of the department.

The UAE also accused Sweden of disrespecting social values ​​and stressed the importance of monitoring the global situation of hate speech and racism. The reference to freedom of speech in the situation with the burning of the Koran in this case is only a “marketing tool,” the Foreign Ministry added. The note of protest handed over to the diplomat called for working together to uphold the global principles of tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

The Swedish Ambassador was also summoned today by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Jordan.

“Today, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry summoned the Swedish Ambassador to protest against the Swedish government’s permission to burn a copy of the Holy Quran to extremists,” the Jordanian foreign ministry tweeted.

On June 28, in Stockholm, with the permission of the police, another demonstration was held with the burning of the Koran near the mosque, which was led by an immigrant from Iraq. As noted by local media, in the spring the police rejected the application for such an event, but the organizers of the action went to court, which recognized the decision of the police as erroneous and explained that in order to refuse to hold the action, it must have “a clear connection with fears of violation of order and security.” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson considered the permission for this action legal but inappropriate.

State Duma deputies later submitted to the lower house of parliament a draft resolution on a statement condemning insulting the feelings of Muslims in Sweden. President Vladimir Putin, in turn, pointed out that in Russia, insulting religious feelings will always be a violation of the law. “This crime is disrespect and incitement of inter-regional, inter-confessional hatred. We will always adhere to these legislative rules,” he said.

Earlier in January, Danish politician Rasmus Paludan held a similar action near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, after which tensions arose in relations between the two countries, which influenced Sweden’s entry into NATO, which has not yet taken place.