Saudi Arabia condemns ‘abuse of Holy Qur’an’ by some extremists in Sweden
April 18, 2022, 8:50 am

Saudi Arabia condemns ‘abuse of Holy Qur’an’ by some extremists in Sweden

Saudi Arabia condemns the 'deliberate' abuse of the Holy Qur'an, as well as provocations and incitement against Muslims by some extremists in Sweden (Photo: Pixabay)

The Arab News reported, Saudi Arabia on Monday (Apr 18) condemned the “deliberate” abuse of the Holy Qur'an, as well as provocations and incitement against Muslims by some extremists in Sweden.

In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of concerted efforts to spread the values of dialogue, tolerance, and coexistence.

The statement also emphasized renouncing hatred, extremism, and exclusion, the Arab News said.

The statement said, the Kingdom highlighted the efforts to prevent abuse of all religions and holy sites.

Three people in the Swedish city of Norrkoping needed medical attention after being hit by police bullets during clashes between police and protesters following Qur'an burnings that caused riots in several Swedish towns over the Easter weekend.

Medics carry a man who was shot in the leg during a riot sparked by Danish anti-Muslim politician Rasmus Paludan in Norrkoping, Sweden on April 17, 2022. (Arab News via TT News Agency via REUTERS)

In some places counter-protesters attacked police ahead of planned right-wing extremist demonstrations. Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has condemned the violence.

Swedish police said in a online statement: "Three people seem to have been hit by ricochets and are now being cared for in hospital. All three injured are arrested on suspicion of crime," adding that none of the injuries were life-threatening.

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Police said the situation in Norrkoping was calm on Sunday evening.

Police and protesters have been engaged in serious clashes during the past days, resulting in several police suffering injuries and multiple vehicles torched.

The violence began on Thursday after a demonstration organized by Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Danish far-right political party Hard Line.

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It should be noted that Paludan, who had permission for a series of demonstrations across Sweden during the Easter weekend, is known for Qur'an burnings.

Source: arabnews

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.