Russia adopts statement condemning Swedish authorities for allowing Quran-burning

Russia’s State Duma has called on the Swedish authorities to take measures to prevent violations of the rights and insults to the religious feelings of Muslims.

The MPs adopted at the plenary session a resolution “On the statement of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation “On insulting the feelings of Muslims in Sweden”, TASS reports.

On June 28, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin instructed the MPs to prepare it.

The document emphasizes that the MPs, together with Muslims around the world, are outraged by the decision of the Swedish authorities, who issued permission to hold on June 28, 2023, on the day of the Eid al-Adha, a protest action near the main mosque of the city of Stockholm, during which the Muslim holy book of the Quran was set on fire.

“The Swedish authorities gave permission knowing that a crime would be committed aimed at offending the feelings of millions of believers around the world, inciting ethnic discord and hatred,” the statement said.

The MPs stressed that "the desecration of sacred objects has nothing to do with freedom of speech and religion, with the principles of democracy." They condemned the Swedish authorities and called on them to take measures to prevent violations of the rights and insults to the religious feelings of Muslims.

On the first day of Eid al-Adha in Stockholm, an Iraqi named Salvan Momika burned a Quran copy. Police protection was provided in the area where the anti-Islamic rally was taking place.