A man burning a copy of the Koran in Stockholm, Sweden, June 28, 2023. (Credit: Twitter/@AzzatAlsaalem)
BEIRUT — On Thursday, several Lebanese political and religious figures condemned the burning of a Quran in Stockholm, Sweden. The incident, which took place Wednesday in front of a mosque, was committed by a 37-year-old Iraqi asylum seeker. The act took place during a gathering authorized by Swedish police on the first day of the Muslim holiday Adha.
Last January, a far-right Swedish activist committed a similar act, provoking indignation and condemnation from many Lebanese political and religious figures.
'An act that stirs up hatred'
On Thursday, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs tweeted that is "strongly condemns the auto-da-fé of the Quran in Sweden by extremist groups." It called the incident "an attack on the sacred values of Muslims and a provocation," which "increases Islamophobia and hatred instead of promoting tolerance and the coexistence of religions and civilizations."
١)تدين وزارة الخارجية والمغتربين بأشد العبارات عملية إحراق القرآن الكريم في السويد من قبل مجموعة من المتطرفين. إن هذا العمل الذي يتكرر للمرة الثانية يشكل اعتداءً على مقدسات المسلمين واستفزازا لمشاعرهم، ويأتي ليزيد من حدة الإسلاموفوبيا والكراهية تجاههم بدلا من ترسيخ قيم التسامح
— Mofa Lebanon (@Mofalebanon) June 29, 2023
"[The incident] cannot be justified by freedom of expression, as it stirs up hatred and breeds violence," the Foreign Ministry also said, calling for "a definitive end to these provocations and for them to be considered crimes punishable by law." As early as Wednesday, the Higher Shiite Council had denounced what they considered "a clear assault on the Muslim community." In a statement, the Council called on various governments to take action "and not limit themselves to declarations to condemn this act," which it said was "supported and instigated by the infidel, blaspheming West and by international Zionism to undermine humanist and civilizational values."
Hezbollah, Amal, PSP and other MPs
Hezbollah said it "strongly condemns the tearing and burning of the Quean in front of a mosque" in Stockholm. The party said the Swedish authorities "are complicit in this crime" for "having given permission to the demonstrators when they knew their intentions." Hezbollah stated that the repetition of such acts "cannot be passed over in silence," and that "the Swedish government must stop this harmful development rather than use freedom of expression and other empty slogans as a pretext."
The Amal movement echoed this sentiment, calling the incident "an act that undermines human dignity" and calling on the international community "to act seriously and responsibly to stop this kind of repeated crime."
The Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) deemed it "unacceptable to continue to take refuge behind freedom of expression" and called on the Swedish government "to act immediately to punish the perpetrators of these acts, which stir up antagonism, ignorance and extremism." Lebanese MPs from other political currents also condemned the Quran burning, including Forces of Change MP Melhem Khalaf and Walid Baarini from the National Moderation group.