religion
After Koran disparagement: protests in Iraq and Iran
Security forces recently had to stand guard in front of the Swedish embassy. Now they had to intervene in front of the Danish embassy. photo
© Hadi Mizban/AP/dpa
A Koran is believed to have been burned near the Iraqi embassy in Denmark. A similar incident in Sweden had previously sparked protests in Islamic countries.
After an Islamophobic action in Denmark, the premises of a Danish aid organization in the Iraq was attacked. As the German Press Agency learned from Iraqi security circles, demonstrators attacked the offices of the Danish Refugee Aid (Dansk Flygtningehjælp, DRC) in the southern province of Basra.
When asked by dpa, the organization confirmed that there had been an armed attack against them in the early hours of the morning. Personnel at the scene were unharmed but damage was sustained as buildings were set on fire, said DRC Middle East Executive Director Lilu Thapa. One deplores this attack – according to him, employees of aid organizations should never become the target of violence.
Koran slurs precede
Earlier on Friday there had been an Islamophobic action in the Danish capital Copenhagen. A book that appeared to be a copy of the Koran was burned near the Iraqi embassy there.
The Danish government condemned the burning of the Koran. “The burning of sacred texts and other religious symbols is a shameful act that disregards the religion of others,” the State Department said. Many Danes are Muslims and a valued part of the population. At the same time, the ministry referred to freedom of expression.
A burning of the Koran and another disparagement of the Holy Scriptures of Islam in Sweden had recently led to protests in Islamic countries. A few days ago, demonstrators broke into the Swedish embassy in Baghdad and set it on fire. Iraq expelled the Swedish ambassador. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry spoke of a “systematic provocation against the feelings of millions of Muslims around the world”. Thousands have joined protests in Iran and Lebanon. Criticism also came from Turkey.
Iran calls for “heaviest punishment”
Iran’s head of state, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, demanded the extradition of the person responsible after the disparagement of a Koran in Sweden. “Muslim scholars agree that the perpetrator of this crime must receive the harshest punishment,” the religious leader said in a statement released by his office. Sweden attracts the hatred of the Muslim world.
The 84-year-old did not explicitly comment on what exactly “heaviest punishment” means. Wanton desecration of the Koran is considered blasphemy in Iran. In extreme cases, the death penalty can be imposed for blasphemy.