Iran Press/ Europe: Copies of the Holy Quran have been burned at several demonstrations in Sweden and Denmark this summer, causing outrage among Muslims and prompting protesters to storm and vandalize the Swedish embassy in Baghdad.
Denmark and Sweden have said they deplore the burning of the Holy Quran but cannot prevent it under rules protecting free speech.
Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Friday that his government is considering enacting laws to prevent the recurring incidents of burning and desecration of the Quran.
Rasmussen made the remarks during a phone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The discussions tackled the repeated incidents of burning and desecration of the Quran, which threatens the peaceful coexistence of societies, according to the statement.
The Danish foreign minister expressed his country’s regret and dissatisfaction with such incidents in Denmark, noting these behaviours do not reflect Danish societal values.
For his part, Shoukry affirmed that Egypt categorically rejects all crimes of burning the Quran, expressing resentment at their recurrence in Denmark without decisive measures against the perpetrators.
The Egyptian minister stressed the need for tangible evidence of the government’s commitment to taking necessary measures to protect the sanctity of individuals’ beliefs. 219
