ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday demanded the Swedish government take "immediate action" against the ones involved in last week’s burning of a copy of the Holy Qur’an, which has drawn widespread outrage and condemnation from the Muslim world.
Salwan Momika, 37, a refugee from Iraq, desecrated the Qur’an and set fire to its pages in front of the Stockholm’s largest mosque on Wednesday. The act came during the major Muslim festival of Eid Al-Adha.
Countries throughout the Middle East and beyond denounced the burning, some recalled their ambassadors, and foreign ministries summoned the Swedish ambassadors to their countries to hear official protests.
“A very wicked incident took place in Sweden and the Holy Qur’an has once again been desecrated,” PM Sharif said in televised comments at a federal cabinet meeting in Islamabad.
“The whole Muslim world, the Pakistani nation and the government condemn it with full force. It is our demand that immediate action be taken against the perpetrators.”
The Swedish police had authorized the protest, citing freedom of speech, after a previous decision to ban a similar protest was overturned by a Swedish court.
“Unfortunately, this is not the first incident and such heart-wrenching incidents have occurred before as well,” Sharif said, demanding the Swedish government take notice of the growing Islamophobia in the country.
Sharif’s comments came a day after the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said measures needed to be taken to avoid repeated acts of desecration to the Qur’an.
The announcement was made during an emergency session over the repercussions of burning of the Qur’an on the first day of Eid Al-Adha.
“I am very satisfied that the OIC summoned an emergency meeting in this regard and condemned this wicked act,” Sharif said, adding his government backed the OIC’s demand for action against perpetrators and steps to prevent such incidents in future.
“We will fully follow up on this demand through our ministry of foreign affairs,” he added.
