Nasrallah calls on all Arab and Islamic countries to expel Swedish ambassadors for burning the Koran

The UN and the US show their concern both for the burning of the Koran and for the assault on the Swedish Embassy

21 (EUROPA PRESS)

The leader of the Lebanese Shiite party-militia Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, on Thursday called on all Arab and Islamic countries to follow the example of Iraq and expel the Swedish ambassadors from their territories for the new authorization to burn a copy of the Koran in Stockholm.

In addition, Nasralá has described the Iraqi decision as “brave, wise and excellent”, as published by the pan-Arab television channel Al Mayadin.

For its part, Saudi Arabia has made the decision to convene the Swedish charge d’affaires in the country, while Qatar and Iran have done the same with the Swedish ambassador, as reported by the respective foreign ministries.

From Tehran, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Hosein Amirabdolahian, has condemned on his Twitter account the “irresponsible behavior of the Swedish Government”, after having sent a letter to the UN Secretary General, António Guterres, by way of complaint for this type of acts and asking that it be condemned.

REACTIONS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

Following a meeting between the secretary general and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Guterres has expressed his determination to “fight against religious hatred” and has expressed his solidarity with Muslims.

Guterres’s spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, has added that they are concerned about the burning of copies of the Koran and the assault on the Swedish Embassy in Iraq, and has called for “mutual respect”.

The controversy has been unleashed less than a day after followers of the Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr attacked and burned down the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad (Iraq) in protest against the authorization of the Swedish Police for a new protest in Stockholm in which it was expected burning a copy of the Koran.

According to information from the Al Jazeera chain, the demonstrators have not finally burned the copy of the Koran as planned, although they have “kicked” and “partially damaged” it.

The United States Department of State, for its part, has condemned the attack on the Swedish Embassy and has stressed that the values ​​of freedom of peaceful assembly are essential for a democracy, and has branded the passivity of the security forces as unacceptable. iraqis.

The spokesman for the department, Matthew Miller, has called for “open dialogue” with Iraq and Sweden, and has described as “abhorrent” the burning of the holy book of Islam while defending the right to freedom of expression.

This attack on the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad is not the first, as it already suffered another irruption on June 29 in the framework of a demonstration called to protest the burning of a copy of the Koran during a rally in Stockholm that had been endorsed by the Police of the European country.

The burning of the holy book of Islam led several Arab and Muslim countries to call their ambassadors for consultations or summon Swedish representatives and unleashed a wave of calls for a boycott of Swedish products, as well as criticism of the authorities of the European country. for giving permission to the demonstration knowing that a copy of the Koran was going to be set on fire.