Raeisi: Muslims will never overlook desecration of Holy Qur’an

President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi says the Muslim world will never overlook the recent act of sacrilege against the Holy Qur'an in a Western country.

The Iranian president made the remarks while addressing the Friday Prayer event in the city of Rafsanjan, in the southeastern province of Kerman, in reaction to the blasphemous burning of a copy of the Qur’an, Islam’s holy book, in Sweden’s capital during a protest authorized by police as Muslims celebrated the Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice) holiday.

Raeisi said "the most valuable divine book" has been disrespected in recent days in a Western country which claims to defend free expression.

He said the move has not only upset two billion Muslims but also the followers of all divine religions.

"An insult to our beloved Qur'an is an insult to all divine religions, humanity and all divine values, which the Islamic society will not tolerate," the president said.

In a repeated and state-authorized instance of sacrilege against the Muslim holy book, two men stood outside the central mosque in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, on Wednesday and burned a copy of the holy book following a go-ahead given to them by a Swedish court.

The move was made to coincide with the Muslim festivity of Eid al-Adha, which marks the conclusion of the annual Hajj pilgrimage that is partaken by millions of Muslims from across the world.

Raeisi also said the youth should realize how those who claim to champion freedom of expression arrogantly carried out a blasphemous act against Muslim sanctities. "They are lying and do not support freedom of expression and opinion. They oppose freedom and seek to impose their despotism in the form of freedom of expression on humanity."

The president said the Qur'an is a manifestation of freedom which teaches humanity but those who insult the sanctities are against freedom of expression.

On Thursday, Foreign Ministry's Spokesman Nasser Kan'ani denounced in the strongest terms the Swedish government's authorization of the repetition of such act of sacrilege by Sweden-based Islamophobes, who have similarly insulted the holy book on several occasions in the past.

Muslims will respond to insults to sanctities: Parliament speaker

And on Friday, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf lashed out at the Swedish government and police for preparing the ground for a sacrilegious act against the Qur'an.

World Muslims will respond appropriately to such disgusting insults to their sanctities, Qalibaf said in a post on his Twitter account.

"I strongly condemn the disrespect and insolence of the Swedish government and police in preparing the ground for insulting the Holy Qur'an under the false cover of freedom of expression and action," the top parliamentarian tweeted.

Iranians gather in front of Swedish embassy in Tehran

A number of people and university students gathered in front of the Swedish embassy in Tehran on Friday to condemn the blasphemous act.

The protesters carried placards and chanted slogans against the supporters of the move and called for respect for the sanctities of divine religions.

SS