Several Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Kuwait, also condemned the burning of the Quran.
Qatar has lashed out at Swedish authorities for allowing a far-right protester to burn the holy Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm on Saturday.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “Qatar condemns and denounces in the strongest terms the Swedish authorities’ permission to burn a copy of the Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm.
“It also emphasises that this vile incident is an act of incitement and a serious provocation to the feelings of more than two billion Muslims in the world,” the statement added.
On Saturday, Rasmus Paludan, the head of the Danish far-right political group Hard Line, led a protest in which he burned a copy of the holy book.
Paludan, surrounded by police, attacked Islam and immigration during a nearly hour-long tirade before setting fire to the holy book with a lighter. Nearby, about 100 people gathered for a calm counterprotest.
“If you don’t think there should be freedom of expression, you have to live somewhere else,” he said.
Turkish authorities responded immediately in a statement.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the vile attack on our holy book … Permitting this anti-Islam act, which targets Muslims and insults our sacred values, under the guise of freedom of expression is completely unacceptable,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.
The Turkish ministry also called on the world to take action against Islamophobia and urged Sweden to take the necessary measures against the offenders.
Saturday’s protest was sanctioned by Swedish authorities who provided a police permit to Paludan. It comes as diplomatic tensions with Turkey increase as Sweden seeks Ankara’s support to join the NATO military alliance.
In response to the protest, Turkey cancelled a crucial trip by Sweden’s Defence Minister Pal Jonson, saying the visit had “lost its significance and meaning”.
As a NATO member, Turkey has the power to block applications for other states seeking to join the alliance.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s statement warned that such Islamophobic acts as well as systematic calls for the repeated targeting of Muslims around the world have resulted in a dangerous escalation of anti-Muslim campaigns.
It also called on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities to reject hatred, discrimination, incitement and violence and urged for dialogue and mutual understanding.
Authorities in Doha said Qatar rejects “all forms of hate speech based on religion or race in addition to rejecting the involvement of sanctities in political disputes.
Meanwhile, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom called the Islamophobic provocations “appalling”.
“Sweden has a far-reaching freedom of expression, but it does not imply that the Swedish Government, or myself, support the opinions expressed,” the official said in a tweet.
However, the same official told TT news agency one day earlier that Sweden “respects freedom of speech.”
Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesperson for the Turkish president, denounced the demonstration as a “clear crime of hatred.”
“Allowing this action despite all our warnings is encouraging hate crimes and Islamophobia,” he tweeted. “The attack on sacred values is not freedom but modern barbarism.”
The incident also drew international condemnation from several nations, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, and Muslims around the world.
“Saudi Arabia calls for spreading the values of dialogue, tolerance, and coexistence, and rejects hatred and extremism,” the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement
