(VOVWORLD) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the burning of a copy of the Quran by an Iraqi refugee in Stockholm, Sweden and underlined the need to take measures to avoid anti-Muslims.
 Policemen are deployed outside the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad one day after a man tore and burned a copy of the Quran outside Stockholm's central mosque on June 29, 2023. (photo: Reuter) |
In a phone conversation with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Fuad Hussein on Saturday, Guterres affirmed the need to respect Muslims and their religious practices and said the UN is closely monitoring the incident and related reactions in Iraq and the Muslim world.
Deputy Prime Minister Hussein emphasized that such actions fuel Islamophobia and extremist ideologies around the world, contributing to multiple problems between different nations and communities.
The European External Affairs Service (EEAS) said that the EU condemns the burning of the Quran in Sweden and urges to avoid escalation of tension.
It said in a statement that burning of the Quran absolutely does not reflect the EU’s position. The EU is closely monitoring the situation in Baghdad, where thousands of Iraqi protesters are gathering near the Swedish Embassy.
The EU calls for calm and condemns attacks on diplomatic missions.