Massive meeting in Yemen condemns Koran burning in Sweden – World News
On Monday, protesters gathered in large numbers in the Yemeni city of Sa’ada to express their displeasure at the sacrilegious act and condemn the silence and inaction of several Arab and Muslim nations in the face of the act.
In addition, they chanted phrases such as “God’s enemies burned the Qur’an,” “Opressors will be dishonored,” “Burning the Qur’an is an act of aggression,” and “O Muslims, unite and do not fear the deception of the enemies.”
Mohammed Jaber Awad, the governor of Sa’ada province, spoke to the protesters and condemned the burning of the Koran in Sweden. He said it came at a time when anti-Muslim rhetoric from politicians was escalating Islamophobia in Europe.
He asked Muslims and all who value freedom to demonstrate in support of blasphemy and held Sweden fully responsible for the results of the blasphemous and illegal behavior.
Awad also condemned the action as an apparent attack that fits within the framework of Western anti-Islamic actions and called for a thorough investigation into what happened.
Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the Stram Kurs (Hard Line) party, under the protection of the police and with permission from the government, burned a copy of the Koran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm on Saturday.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry immediately responded in a statement.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the heinous attack on our holy book… Allowing this anti-Islam act, which targets Muslims and insults our sacred values, under the guise of freedom of expression is completely unacceptable,” the ministry said.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu vented fury at Swedish authorities’ failure to ban the protest. “It’s a racist act, it’s not about free speech,” he said.
Many Muslim countries – including Iran, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Kuwait – also condemned the burning of the Koran.