Yemen's Houthi authorities ban Swedish imports over Quran burning
Yemen's Houthi movement, which controls the country's north, has banned Swedish imports in protest against the burning of the Quran in Stockholm, the Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said, reports Reuters.
Share It :
People march with copies of the Quran during a demonstration in Yemen's Houthi-held capital Sanaa on July 4, 2023 [MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images]
The minister described Swedish imports as "limited" but said the decision has a symbolic value and that the ban was the least the Houthis could do. He also called on fellow Islamic countries to follow suit.
A man tore up and burned a Quran outside Stockholm's central mosque late last month, on the first day of the Muslim Eid al-Adha holidays.
The action sparked an outcry in Islamic countries, several of which summoned Swedish envoys to voice their condemnation.
Sweden has said it could not ban the demonstration because of freedom of speech rules. Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said last week the Swedish government was examining whether it could make setting the Quran or other holy books on fire illegal, as Quran burnings had damaged Sweden's security.