U.S. ‘Deeply Concerned’ over Sweden Quran Burning

On Jun 30, 2023

The State Department stated on Thursday that the burning of a Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm has “deeply concerned” the United States.

A representative for the State Department told MAP that such protests “could foster a climate of fear that affects the ability of Muslims and members of other religious minority groups to freely exercise their right to freedom of religion or belief in Sweden.”

The source emphasized that while the US “supports the right to free speech and the right to peaceful assembly as fundamental components of any democracy,” Washington “also supports the right to freedom of religion or belief for everyone.”

“More work to foster an inclusive environment for members of religious minority groups is needed”, said the same source, who underlined the importance of “a peaceful and open dialogue on this issue”.

The burning of Quran by an extremist outside a mosque in Stockholm under the protection of Swedish authorities sparked outrage in the Muslim world.

Following the very High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, the Ambassador of His Majesty the King to Sweden was called back to the Kingdom for indefinite consultations on Wednesday, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Kingdom of Sweden in Rabat was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates.

“This new offensive and irresponsible act disregards the feelings of more than a billion Muslims during this sacred period of the great pilgrimage to Mecca and the blessed feast of Eid Al-Adha,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates stated in a statement.