Saudi Arabia summons Danish charges d'affaires, urges end to Quran burning
In the latest incident to stir anger in the Muslim world and beyond, far-right Danish group Danske Patrioter posted a video on social media of a man desecrating and burning what appeared to be the Quran.
Saudi Arabia has summoned the Danish envoy to protest desecrations of the Quran by an extreme-right group in Copenhagen, state media reported.
During a meeting on Thursday with the Danish charge d'affaires, foreign ministry officials delivered a protest note urging an end to "these disgraceful acts", the official Saudi Press Agency said on Friday.
They said the desecrations "violate all religious teachings (and) international laws and norms" and can "fuel hatred between religions".
The far-right group Danske Patrioter on Monday posted a video in which a man is seen desecrating and burning what appeared to be the Muslim holy book.
It was just the latest such incident to stir anger in the Muslim world and beyond.
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam's holy cities Mecca and Medina, has also denounced a vile attack by a Sweden-based Iraqi refugee who last month burned pages of the Quran outside Stockholm's main mosque.
In a separate attack last week, the refugee, Salwan Momika, stepped on the Quran but did not burn it, prompting Riyadh to hand a protest note to the Swedish charge d'affaires.
Saudi Arabia and Iraq have called for an extraordinary meeting, expected to be held on Monday, of the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address Quran desecration in both Sweden and Denmark.
On Thursday, the 57-member body's secretary general, Hissein Brahim Taha, received a phone call from Sweden's foreign minister, Tobias Billstrom, who said Stockholm rejects acts that insult the Quran and wants to maintain good relations with OIC members, the OIC said in a statement.