Quran burning in Denmark as Egypt, Bahrain summon Sweden diplomats

Egypt summoned a Swedish diplomat on Tuesday as relations between the West and the Islamic world continue to strain over incidents of burning the Quran. 

The Swedish charge d’affaires was summoned in response to recent Quran burnings in Sweden, the state-owned news outlet Al-Ahram reported. The outlet did not specifically name the Swedish official. The ambassadorship is currently held by Hakan Emsgard. 

Bahrain also summoned an unnamed Swedish diplomat based in Abu Dhabi in response to the Quran burnings, the official Bahrain News Agency reported. Sweden does not have an embassy in Bahrain. 

Also on Tuesday, a group known as “Danske Patrioter” (Danish Patriots) set fire to Qurans outside the Turkish and Egyptian embassies in Copenhagen. The group previously burned the Islamic holy book in front of the Iraqi Embassy on Monday and last week, Reuters reported. 

International media outlets describe Danske Patrioter as a far-right, anti-Islam group. A Facebook page for the group says it wants "foreigners out of Denmark."

On Monday, Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned what it called “vile attacks” against the Quran in Copenhagen. 

A series of Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark this year have enraged the Middle East. In January, far-right activist Rasmus Paludan, a citizen of both Denmark and Sweden, burned copies of the Quran in Copenhagen and Stockholm, including outside the Turkish embassies in each city.

The situation escalated in June when Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika burned a copy of the Quran outside a Stockholm mosque, prompting widespread condemnation from Middle Eastern governments. Last week, Momika stepped on the Islamic holy book in another protest in Sweden. Iraqi protesters stormed and set fire to the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad in response.

There were also protests in Baghdad on Saturday in response to the Quran burning in Denmark last week.

Both Swedish and Danish authorities have condemned the recent Quran burnings, but the acts are allowed to occur due to freedom of expression laws in both countries.

“These provocative and shameful acts do not represent the views of the Danish government. Appeal to all to de-escalate — violence must never be the response,” said Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen in a tweet on Monday.

Rasmussen also held a call with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein on Tuesday, according to Reuters.

Earlier this month, Sweden’s Foreign Ministry condemned the Quran burnings as “Islamophobic acts.”

Middle Eastern states continue to be angry with the two Scandinavian countries, however.