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Saudi Summons Swedish Ambassador Over Quran Burning
Salwan Momika, an Iraqi citizen living in Sweden, burned several pages of the Muslim holy book on fire on Wednesday. The event was denounced by the monarchy, which is home to the two holiest sites in Islam, Mecca, and Medina.
In order to urge Sweden to “stop all actions that directly contradict international efforts seeking to spread the values of tolerance, moderation, and rejection of extremism, and undermine the necessary mutual respect for relations between peoples and states,” the foreign ministry summoned the ambassador yesterday, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.
Momika’s Quran burning occurred at the same time as the beginning of the Eid al-Adha holiday and the conclusion of the yearly Hajj trip in Saudi Arabia, which caused outrage among many people.
Sweden’s embassies have also been called by nations such as Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco in protest.
Iran stated Wednesday that the event had caused it to postpone sending its new ambassador to Sweden.
During a special meeting held yesterday at its Jeddah headquarters, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, based in Saudi Arabia, urged for coordinated action to stop further Quran burnings.
Momika had been granted a permit by Swedish police in accordance with the country’s free speech laws, but officials afterward claimed they had launched an investigation into “agitation against an ethnic group” after learning that Momika had very publicly burned pages from the Islamic holy book.
Sweden’s government condemned Momika’s actions yesterday, calling them “Islamophobic”.
