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Indonesia condemns second Quran burning in Sweden this year
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Salwan Momika protests outside a mosque in Stockholm on June 28, during Idul Adha (Day of Sacrifice). (AFP/Jonathan Nackstrand)
T
he government has joined a chorus Muslim-majority nations in condemning the burning of a copy of the Quran in Sweden on Wednesday, the second instance this year, during the Muslim observance of Idul Adha (Day of Sacrifice).
The Foreign Ministry wrote on Twitter that the act “deeply hurts” the feelings of Muslims around the world and could not be justified.
“Freedom of expression must also respect the values and beliefs of other religions. Indonesia, along with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member countries in Sweden, have strongly protested against this incident,” the Foreign Ministry tweeted on Thursday evening.
On Wednesday, Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi living in Sweden, stomped on a copy of the Quran before setting several of its pages alight in front of Stockholm’s largest mosque.
Salwan, who held a protest permit to perform the act, did so under a heavy police presence, although the police later opened an investigation into Salwan over “agitation”.
The Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI) also put out a statement condemning the burning of the Quran during Idul Adha, saying the form of expression had violated the rights of others, namely the rights of Muslims.
