Dubai: The burning of the Qur'an in Sweden has drawn the "strong rejection" of the European Union, which referred to the act as "offensive, disrespectful, and a clear act of provocation."
"In no way does this act represent the views of the European Union... Racism, xenophobia, and other forms of intolerance have no place in Europe, the bloc said in a statement.
The burning of the Qur'an was made even more heinous because Muslims were also celebrating Eid Al-Adha, according to the group's statement.
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"The EU continues to defend freedom of expression and freedom of religion both at home and abroad. The time has come for us to unite in support of respect and understanding for one another and to stop any further escalation, according to the EU.
Additionally, the bloc stated that it was closely monitoring the situation in Iraq as tens of thousands of protesters gathered in front of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on Friday to call for the termination of diplomatic relations with Stockholm.
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Salwan Momika set fire to several pages of the Qur'an in front of the mosque in Stockholm earlier this week after fleeing from Iraq to Sweden several years ago.
In accordance with free speech rights, police had given him a permit for the demonstration; however, he was accused of "agitation against an ethnic group."
The Muslim and Arab worlds have strongly condemned his actions, recalling their envoys and summoning the Swedish ambassadors to demand an explanation and air their concerns.
The executive committee of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has been called to an urgent meeting to discuss the ramifications of the burning of a copy of the Qur'an in Sweden.
