Quran burning in Denmark condemned

Iraq, Turkey, Iran and other Muslim-majority countries have criticised the burning of a Quran outside the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen on Monday by far-right group "Danish Patriots".

Two anti-Islam protesters stamped on the holy book and set it alight in a tin foil tray next to an Iraqi flag on the ground

The same group livestreamed a similar act on Facebook on Friday. After that incident, nearly 1000 demonstrators tried to reach the Danish embassy in Baghdad.

The two incidents in Denmark follow on from an incident in Sweden last week. Crowds set fire to Sweden's embassy in Baghdad after the planned burning burning of a Quran in Stockholm. Staff were evacuated from the embassy.

Iraq's foreign ministry said the acts allowed "the virus of extremism and hate" to pose "a real threat to the peaceful coexistence of societies".

Thousands of people protested in Sanaa, Yemen, voicing anger at Sweden and Denmark. There were also protests in Iran, Iraq expelled the Swedish ambassador and in Qatar, Souq Al Baladi, the country's biggest market, had removed Swedish products.

In a tweet, Denmark's foreign ministry said: "Denmark condemns today's burning of the Quran carried out by very few individuals.

"These provocative and shameful acts do not represent the views of the Danish government. Appeal to all to deescalate - violence must never be the response."

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay