VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - Indonesia summoned the Danish and Swedish ambassadors in Jakarta to express its condemnation of continued acts involving the burning or desecration of the Quran in both countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters in Jakarta, ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah said that the ministry summoned the Swedish ambassador on July 20, 2023, and called the power of attorney ad interim of the Danish embassy on July 24.

"We want to see justice (over how Sweden and Denmark) respond to issues, which are very sensitive," he added.

Indonesia, through its representatives in Stockholm and Copenhagen, also issued a statement strongly condemning incidents involving the burning of the Muslim holy book, the Quran.

Faizasyah emphasized that Indonesia does not accept the argument that such acts are permissible in the name of freedom of expression, and will continue to monitor the issue.

At least five acts of desecration and Quran burning have been reported in 2023 — all from Europe.

The latest incident occurred on Monday (July 31) when two Iraqi refugees living in Sweden, Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem, set fire to a copy of the Quran in front of the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm. They had previously burned a copy of the Quran, too.

Momika burnt a copy of the Quran in front of Stockholm's largest mosque on June 28, coinciding with Eid al-Adha.

He then desecrated the holy book of Islam, though he did not burn it, on July 20 in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm.

There is no law in Sweden specifically prohibiting the burning or desecration of the Quran or other religious books. Like many Western countries, Sweden does not have any blasphemy laws.

Moreover, freedom of speech is protected under the Swedish Constitution.

Meanwhile, in Denmark, members of the Islamophobic and far-right nationalist group Danske Patrioter burned a copy of the Quran in front of the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen on July 21.

The incident drew international outrage from Muslim-majority countries and raised questions about why such acts are being allowed.  (Antaranews)