Doha: The State of Qatar has strongly condemned the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran by an extremist in the Swedish city Malmo with the knowledge of local authorities.
Qatar considered this horrendous act as a premeditated incitement act that intentionally aims to provoke the public opinion and stoke Muslims' feelings, calling on Swedish authorities to take all essential measures to stop these outrageous practices.
In a statement on Sunday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that allowing the infringement of the Holy Quran once again under the pretext of freedom of expression foments hatred and violence and threatens values of peaceful co-existence.
The ministry stressed the State of Qatar's utmost rejection of all forms of hate speech based on belief, race, or religion. It also warned that the hatred campaigns unleashed against Islam and Islamophobia rhetoric have witnessed a dangerous escalation with the continuation of the systematic calls for recurrence of targeting Muslims worldwide.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the State of Qatar's full support for tolerance values and its keenness to lay the foundations of international security and peace through dialogue and understanding.
