A government source reported today, Saturday, that "Iraqi security forces fired tear gas to repel hundreds of protesters as they attempted to reach the Danish embassy in Baghdad, following news of the burning of the Holy Quran in Denmark." The incident occurred in the heavily fortified Green Zone in central Baghdad, two days after demonstrators stormed the Swedish embassy and set it ablaze in protest against plans to burn a copy of the Quran in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm.
The storming of the Danish embassy was in response to the attack on the Holy Quran and the flag of Iraq. The Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the Danish ambassador to protest against the attack on the Quran in Copenhagen. Iranian media quoted a senior official from the Foreign Ministry stating, "The burning of books in Europe reminds us of the dark ages of ignorance. Silence in the face of such a heinous cultural crime will only lead to violence and more terrorism."
