Iraq summons Swedish envoy over Quran burning

By Ali Jawad

BAGHDAD (AA) - Iraq on Sunday summoned the Swedish charge d'affaires, Hakan Rooth, to protest the burning of a copy of the Muslim holy book of Quran by far-right extremists in Sweden.

On Thursday, Rasmus Paludan, the Danish leader of the far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line) Party, burned a copy of the Holy Quran in southern Linkoping in Sweden, according to media reports.

In a statement, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said it lodged a protest with the Swedish diplomat over the burning of the Muslim holy book.

The ministry warned that the burning “bears grave implications on Sweden’s relations with all Muslims.”

The statement called on the Swedish government to intervene to stop any acts that provoke religious sentiments.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara