Iran summons Swedish, Danish charges d'affaires in Tehran Desecration of holy Quran escalates tensions

Iran's foreign ministry has summoned the Swedish and Danish charges d'affaires in Tehran to protest the burning and damaging of copies of the Koran in the two countries, state media reported on August 20.

Anti-Islam activists in Denmark and Sweden have burned or damaged several copies of the Muslim holy book in recent months, prompting outrage in the Muslim world and demands that the Nordic governments ban such acts.

Governments in both countries have condemned the burnings and said they are considering new laws aimed at preventing such acts.

"Iran lays the full responsibility and the serious repercussions of the Holy Koran's desecration on the Swedish and Danish governments," state media cited the Iranian Foreign Ministry's Human Rights Department as saying, per Reuters.

Addressing the chargés d'affaires in separate meetings, the deputy director of the Human Rights Department of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemned the repetition of the desecration of the holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark, adding that the Swedish and Danish governments are fully responsible for the serious consequences of desecrating the holy Quran, according to IRNA.

Referring to the recent statements made by Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei about the countries that support the criminals and insulters of the holy Quran as tantamount to taking a war arrangement against the Islamic world, the Foreign Ministry warned against repeating such conspiratorial and dangerous attempts.

Stating that freedom of speech comes with special duties and responsibilities, the foreign ministry officials called on the envoys of Sweden and Denmark to abide by international obligations under articles 19 and 20 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Pointing to the resolutions adopted at the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council, as well as the 18th emergency meeting of foreign ministers of Islamic countries, it was reiterated that despite the clear stance and serious determination of the world's freethinkers to condemn the insult to the Holy Quran, governments like Sweden and Denmark have been passive in complying with these resolutions, and regrettably continue to support insulters by not showing serious willing and determination against hatred and islamophobia.

The Swedish and Danish chargés d'affaires recalled their country's position in condemning any insult to the Holy Quran, saying that the Swedish and Danish governments are determined to prevent such attempts by making changes in their domestic laws.