“I feel indignant and disgusted by these actions,” Pope Francis expressed to Hamad Al-Kaabi, editor of the UAE’s daily Al-Ittihad, regarding the burning of copies of the Quran in Sweden in recent days.
Al-Itthad is an Arabic language newspaper published daily in the United Arab Emirates. It is part of the Abu Dhabi Media group, a government organization.
Swedish Christian Council condemns the burning of the Quran in Stockholm
The desecration in the Swedish capital has caused violent reactions across the world and the Swedish Embassy was stormed in Iraqi capital Baghdad.
Soon after the incident, the Presidium of the Swedish Christian Council (SKR) published a statement condemning the gesture.
“As Christian Churches, we defend the right of every person to practice their faith regardless of religion”, – reads the text. “The burning of the Quran is a deliberate violation of the Muslim faith and identity, but we see it also as an attack on all of us people of faith. Therefore, we want to express our solidarity with Muslim believers in our country”.
The Swedish PM: We should come to our senses
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also condemned the desecration at press conference: “I think we should come to our senses in Sweden.”, he said
“We are in a serious political security situation and there is no reason to offend other people”.
Demonstrations against the Quran have been taking place in Sweden since 2020.