The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti and Chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, denounced the absurd and disgraceful act of an extremist, by burning a copy of the Holy Quran in Stockholm, Sweden.
He stressed that this incident is “a provocative act against one and a half billion Muslims in the world, fueling strife and serving advocates of extremism,” according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
In a statement, he praised the statement issued by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which included the kingdom’s strong condemnation and denunciation of the Swedish authorities’ allowing an extremist to burn a copy of the Holy Qur’an in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.
He indicated that these “demagogic practices develop hatred and serve the agendas of extremism and terrorism and the sources of hatred everywhere,” calling on “the international community and rational people in the world to take a firm and strong stance towards those who support and authorize it under any name or slogan.”
The Kingdom’s Grand Mufti affirmed that “these barbaric and provocative practices will only increase Muslims’ faith with their belief in the status of the Holy Quran in their souls and that it is the first source of legislation and the correct approach that guides to good speech and spreading the values of peace, coexistence and love among people.”
Al-Sheikh called on “all Muslims to adhere to this great book and rally around their leaders, and that these demagogic practices only increase them by adhering to their constants in dealing with these actions with wisdom.”
He also called on them to “be united in confronting the hatred, terrorism and violence behind which the instigators of hatred stand behind, whether they are states or groups, asking God to unite the word of Muslims on the truth, to fail falsehood and its people, and to perpetuate security, love and peace in the world.”
On Saturday, January 21, Swedish right-wing leader Rasmus Paludan burned a copy of the Holy Quran, with the permission of the Swedish government.
Paludan set fire to the Holy Quran surrounded by the police with a lighter after a long sermon, which lasted about an hour, in which he attacked Islam and immigration in Sweden.
On Friday, Swedish authorities issued a decision allowing Rasmus Paludan, to burn a copy of the Quran in front of the Turkish embassy building in Stockholm. As a result of the decision, Ankara summoned Sweden’s ambassador to it and informed him of its condemnation in the strongest terms.
