On 22nd July, a senior Iran government official called for a boycott of all the products originating from Sweden and Denmark over Quran burning incidents in those countries. In a statement, the secretary of a top advisory economic body for the Iranian government, Mohsen Rezaei, said Muslim countries should boycott products either manufactured or sold by Denmark and Sweden as these two Nordic countries have allowed the desecration of the Quran.
Rezaei said that the boycott should be included in the coordinated measures that Islamic governments are adopting to condemn the acts of desecration of the Quran in Sweden and Denmark. He said, “What is happening in some European countries, including in Sweden and Denmark, against Islamic sanctities and the Quran is barbarism rather than freedom.”
He added, “To prevent a repetition of such heinous and inhumane acts, the Muslim countries have a duty to boycott their commodities, expel their ambassadors and follow up on the prosecution of the abusive people and their backers.”
The Islamic countries expressed their anger earlier this week after a second incident of the Quran burning happened in Sweden this year with consent from police authorities and the administration. On 21st July, another case of Quran burning was reported from Denmark, where a man set a copy of the Quran on fire near the Iraqi Embassy in Copenhagen.
In an attempt to express their anger over the incident, Iran has announced it would not accept a new Swedish ambassador and will avoid sending any new envoy.
The protests against the Quran burning are spreading across Islamic countries. In the wee hours of 22nd July, hundreds of people in Baghdad tried to storm into the city’s Green Zone, which is a heavily fortified area as there are several foreign embassies and the seat of Iraq’s government. The protesters raised slogans like ‘Yes, yes to the Quran!’.
Thousands of protesters stormed the Green Zone in Baghdad yesterday in an attempt to attack the Danish Embassy in revenge for a Quran burning in front of the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen earlier that day.
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) July 22, 2023
Sweden’s Embassy was set ablaze days earlier
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Danish humanitarian organisation’s headquarter attacked
As per local media, in a separate incident, headquarters of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) located in the Basra governorate of Iraq was set ablaze by the protesters. The organisation’s executive director for the Middle East, Lilu Thapa, said, “Our staff on the premises at the time were physically unharmed, but there has been damage to the property with structures set on fire.” DRC has been active in the country for over 20 years.
Iraqi Presidency warns people not in indulge in ‘acts of sedition’
Meanwhile, the Iraqi Presidency has urged international organisations and Western governments to stop incitement and hate practices, “whatever their pretexts”. The official statement also warned the Iraqi citizens not to act in a way that might be described as a ‘plot of sedition’ aimed to show Iraq is unsafe for foreign missions.
Danish Foreign Minister says Quran burning not a crime but ‘foolish’
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called Quran burning a foolish act while noting it is not a crime in the country. He said, “It is a disgraceful act to insult the religion of others”. He added, “This applies to the burning of Korans [Qurans] and other religious symbols. It has no other purpose than to provoke and create division.” In an official statement, Denmark’s Foreign Ministry said, “It is a provocative act that hurts many people and creates division between different religions and cultures. Denmark has freedom of religion and many Danish citizens are Muslims. They are a valued part of the Danish population. Denmark underlines that freedom of expression and freedom of assembly must be respected. Denmark supports the right to protest but emphasises it must remain peaceful.”
