Qatar has expressed its strong dissatisfaction and denunciation of the repeated permission to attack the Holy Qur'an in Sweden, and the failure of the authorities there to stop these practices, which express hatred and religious discrimination, despite the repeated condemnation of Arab and Islamic countries, the condemnation of the international community, and the issuance of the Human Rights Council resolution condemning acts of religious hatred.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement Friday that, on the back of continued attack aimed at the Qur'an and Islam, it was summoning Swedish ambassador to Qatar Gautam Bhattacharyya to hand him an official objection memo that includes calls on the Swedish authorities to take all the necessary measures to stop these heinous practices.
The ministry stressed in that regard that allowing continued attacks against the Qur'an under the pretense of freedom of expression inflames hatred and violence, threatens peaceful coexistence, and reveals objectionable double standards.
The ministry renewed Qatar's full support of the values of tolerance and coexistence, as well as the country's commitment to the principles of international peace and security established through dialogue and understanding.
Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates summoned the Swedish charges d'affaires to strongly condemn the continuation of the Swedish government's allowance of attacks on copies of the Qur'an, the state news agency (WAM) reported Friday.
Demonstrators marched in the Iraqi and Iranian capitals Friday to denounce Sweden's permission for protests that desecrate the Qur'an, as Stockholm withdrew staff from its Baghdad embassy.
Hundreds of people gathered in Baghdad's Sadr City after Friday prayers, chanting "Yes, yes to Islam, yes, yes to the Qur'an", an AFP correspondent said.
In Tehran, protesters waving Iranian flags and carrying copies of Islam's holy book chanted "Down with the US, Britain, Israel and Sweden" as some burned the Swedish flag.
Iran said late Friday it will not allow a new Swedish ambassador into the country.
The rallies came amid heightened tensions between Stockholm and Baghdad over a Sweden-based Iraqi refugee who last month burnt pages of the Qur'an outside Stockholm's main mosque.
Saudi Arabia said late Thursday it had summoned Swedish diplomats to protest against Stockholm allowing desecration of the Qur'an on free speech grounds.
Saudi Arabia said it would urge Sweden "to take all immediate and necessary measures to stop these disgraceful acts", a foreign ministry statement said.
Sweden's decision to authorise the protest has also drawn widespread condemnation from Arab and Muslim countries, including Oman and Kuwait, as well as Jordan and the United Arab Emirates which both summoned Sweden's charges d'affaires.
Oman expressed its strong condemnation of the repeated granting of permits and protection by the competent authorities in Sweden to extremists to burn and desecrate copies of the Holy Qur'an, and its strong condemnation of these provocative acts against the feelings and sanctities of Muslims and the incitement to violence and hatred.
In a statement Friday, the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community to take a firmer stance by criminalising all acts that incite hatred and conflict between religions and cultures and offend laws and beliefs, stressing the importance of promoting the culture and values of peaceful coexistence and tolerance among all members of societies of different religions and cultures, and promoting international understanding and cooperation in order to build a world of peace and mutual respect.
Kuwait said it was co-ordinating with Arab states to hold an emergency meeting of the 57-member Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Co-operation to take "concrete and practical" measures so such an insult to the Qur'an would not be repeated, according to the state news agency.
The British foreign office also condemned the Qur'an protest, calling it "deeply insulting to Muslims around the world and completely inappropriate".
