The stampede and burning of the Muslim holy book, the Koran, was again carried out by a handful of people during a demonstration in front of the Iraqi Embassy (Embassy) in Copenhagen, Denmark on Monday (24/7/2023). A mass group calling itself the "Danish Patriots" also staged a similar demonstration last week.
"This action is said to affect diplomatic relations between Iraq and Denmark," Reuters was quoted as saying.
This protest arose after thousands of people held demonstrations in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Friday (21/7/2023). The demo emerged after the burning of the Koran in Sweden and Denmark.
Thousands of people gathered near the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad and reportedly set fire to the building. "We don't want to wait until morning. We came at dawn and burned the Swedish embassy," one protester told AFP.
The demonstration in front of the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad was in response to an Iraqi immigrant living in Sweden, Salwa Momika, trampling and kicking the Koran in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. Responding to the repeated burning of the Koran in Sweden, Iraq then threatened to sever relations if such acts occurred again.
Responding to the two Qur'an burnings in Denmark, Iran once again criticized the action. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemenlu) of Iran asked the authorities of the European Union countries to reconsider the issue of freedom of expression.
"[We urge the EU] to urgently reconsider the so-called freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate," the official statement of Iran's Foreign Ministry said in an INA media report. [Source: CNN Indonesia]
