Lebanese Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned the burning of a copy of the Quran in Sweden.
“This act, which is repeated for the second time, constitutes an assault on the sanctities of Muslims and a provocation to their feelings,” the National News Agency quoted a ministry statement as saying.
Such an act, which is against the values of tolerance and coexistence between religions and civilizations, fuels hatred and breeds violence, so it “cannot be justified under the pretext of freedom of expression,” it said.
The ministry called for “putting a final end to these provocations and considering them crimes punishable by law”.
Some Islamic groups, religious leaders and lawmakers in Lebanon also condemned the Quran burning in Sweden, blaming the Swedish authorities for giving permission to the protesters.
During a protest permitted by the Swedish authorities on Wednesday, an Iraqi man who fled to Sweden several years ago tore up a copy of the Quran and burned it in front of a Stockholm mosque.
The incident occurred as Muslims around the world marked the Eid al-Adha holiday. In January, a right-wing extremist burned a copy of the Quran near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, triggering outrage in the Muslim world.
