The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Swedish ambassador in Amman today, Thursday, to express Jordan's strong protest against the Swedish government’s allowance of extremists to burn a copy of the Holy Quran in the capital, Stockholm, yesterday, Wednesday. The ministry stated in a press release that the burning of a Quran copy is "a racist act of serious hate and a manifestation of Islamophobia that incites violence and insults religions." It emphasized that such actions cannot be justified in the context of freedom of expression at all. The ministry reiterated its rejection and condemnation of such acts, which are considered a "crime and provocation" against the feelings of over two billion Muslims worldwide. The statement stressed the necessity of confronting such actions, which represent one of the ugliest forms of hatred, and the importance of respecting religious symbols, promoting a culture of peace, acceptance of others, and increasing awareness of shared values of respect.
Also, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Her Excellency Lizelotte Andersson, the Swedish ambassador to the UAE, to convey the state’s strong protest and condemnation of the Swedish government's allowance of extremists to burn a copy of the Holy Quran in Stockholm, and its evasion of international responsibility and lack of respect for social values in this regard. The UAE emphasized in a statement the importance of monitoring hate speech and racism that negatively affect the achievement of peace and security. The ministry expressed the UAE's rejection of using freedom of expression as a justification for such heinous acts.
Her Excellency Aisha bint Suwaidan Al-Suwaidi, Director of the European Affairs Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered the protest note to the ambassador. The note emphasized the UAE's continuous rejection of all practices that aim to undermine security and stability and contradict humanitarian and moral principles. It pointed out that hate speech and extremism could lead to the outbreak, escalation, and recurrence of conflicts worldwide.
The note stressed the importance of respecting religious symbols and sanctities and avoiding incitement and polarization at a time when the world needs to work together to support global principles of tolerance and peaceful coexistence, which should be upheld and implemented to achieve stability and sustainable development.
