Turkish foreign minister condemns burning of Muslim holy book in Sweden on on first day of Eid al-Adha

Sweden

28 June 2023; MEMO: Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Wednesday condemned the burning of the Muslim holy book Quran in Sweden on the first day of Muslims' major festival of Eid al-Adha, Anadolu Agency reports.

"I condemn the vile action in #Sweden against our Holy Book, Quran, on the first day of the Eid-al-Adha!," Fidan wrote on Twitter.

"It is unacceptable to allow these islamophobe anti-Muslim actions under the pretext of freedom of expression," he added.

"To turn a blind eye to such atrocious acts is to be a partner in crime," he said.

Fidan's remarks came after Swedish authorities granted permission for a Quran-burning protest outside a mosque.

Meanwhile, Omer Celik, a spokesperson for Turkiye's Justice and Development (AK) Party said in a statement: "We condemn the Swedish authorities' approval of the application to burn the Qur'an in front of a mosque on Eid al-Adha."

"We strongly condemn the Swedish Supreme Court's stance on protecting hate crimes. Every disrespect is a crime against humanity. We will continue to fight against these cursed acts in the strongest way possible on all political and legal grounds," Celik added.