Hamas condemns Qur’an desecration as breach of divine laws

Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas' political bureau, made the statement on Friday, a day after a Sweden-based Iraqi refugee desecrated the Muslim holy book during a demonstration outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm amid strict protection provided by the Swedish police.

The appalling act, which was perpetrated by 37-year-old Salwan Momika for the second time in less than a month, opened the floodgates of protest across the world's Muslim community.

Rishq said the renewal of permission to some extremists to burn a copy of the Holy Qur’an in Sweden is an attempt to spread hatred.

“Burning the Holy Qur’an is a violation of all divine laws, customs and values that call for respect and appreciation,” the Hamas official said.

“The act is despicable and provocative to the feelings of the Muslim community around the world, and reveals abhorrent racism and a moral and ethical imbalance among those in charge of it and those who provide protection for them.”

Reiterating his condemnation and denunciation of the sacrilegious act, the member of Hamas' political bureau called for preventing such heinous acts under the pretext of freedom as it offends the idea of coexistence between peoples and nations on the basis of respect for rights, sanctities and religions.

People of Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and some other Muslin countries took to the streets in their major cities after Friday prayers to condemn the recurrence of the sacrilegious act in Stockholm.

Hours before the planned desecration by Momika, hundreds of Iraqi protesters amassed outside the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, scaling its walls and setting fire to parts of it.

Baghdad expelled Sweden's envoy and withdrew its ambassador from Stockholm.

On June 28, Momika stomped on the Qur’an before setting several pages alight in front of Stockholm’s largest mosque. The insult to the Muslim holy book was made under the authorization and protection of the Swedish police.

The incident, coinciding with the start of the Muslim Eid al-Adha and the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, drew the anger of Muslims from across the world.