CAIRO, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit on Friday condemned Swedish authorities' repeated approval for some extremists to desecrate the Quran.
This disgraceful move is considered a huge and unacceptable provocation to the feelings of Muslims everywhere around the world, he said in a statement, condemning the desecration of the Quran.
The Arab bloc warned weeks ago that granting official permissions that facilitate such actions will only contribute to the prevailing extremism speech.
The reluctance of addressing speeches of hate goes beyond freedom of speech, he said, noting mixing the norms of tolerance and freedom will feed violence.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry slammed those actions that inflame the feelings of millions of Muslims.
Egypt also voiced its concern over the repeated incidents of blasphemy and Islamophobia, and the rise of hate speech in many countries, adding their severe repercussions will impact the security, stability, and human rights in societies.
States must assume responsibility to confront and prevent these crimes, as well as hold perpetrators accountable, the ministry said in a statement.
On Thursday, an Iraqi refugee, who burned a copy of the Quran last month, stomped on the holy book during a demonstration in Sweden's capital Stockholm. ■
Source:Xinhua