AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): As Muslims in Sweden were celebrating Eid al-Fitr, a copy of the Holy Quran was desecrated in the capital.
According to a report, two individuals burned the copy of the Holy Book outside a mosque in Stockholm on Wednesday.
They had reportedly received permission for the act of sacrilege and burned the Quran under police protection.
The mosque’s officials in a statement deplored the issuance of the permission by police, al-Kumbes website reported.
This is the second year that some individuals burn the Quran before the eyes of visitors to the mosque on one of the main Islamic occasions, the statement said.
The statement described such acts of desecration as unacceptable and a blow to religious freedom, stressing that they run counter to common values such as tolerance, mutual respects and peaceful coexistence.
It also noted that hate crimes against the mosque in the Swedish capital have seen a rise in recent months, with the windows of the mosque frequently broken, swastikas painted on the doors, and threatening letters sent to the mosque.
The atmosphere of racism against Muslims has intensified recently, it deplored.
The mosque officials added that burning the Quran outside a mosque has nothing to do with freedom of speech as it is aimed at provocation, which the law has banned.
They said threats against mosques and provocations against Muslims should be taken seriously and protecting Muslims and mosques in Sweden should be given priority.
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