Iran summons Danish envoy to protest Quran burning in Copenhagen

Iran's foreign ministry summoned the Danish ambassador to protest against "the desecration of the Quran in Copenhagen," the ministry tweeted on Saturday.

On Friday, an extreme right group named Danske Patrioter (Danish Patriots) set fire to a book purported to be the Quran on a square across from the Iraqi Embassy in Copenhagen. 

"Book burning in Europe is reminiscent of the dark ages of ignorance... Silence in the face of such a heinous cultural crime will only lead to violence and promotion of terrorism," Iranian media quoted a senior foreign ministry official as saying.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has since criticised similar events that have occurred in Sweden, saying that "it is the duty of the Swedish government to turn over the criminal who burned the Holy Quran to the judicial systems of Muslim countries."

Khamenei also said that those who desecrate the Quran "deserve the severest punishment."

Khamenei's comments refer to the acts of Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, who stomped on the Quran in Stockholm on Thursday. He had previously burned the Quran in a previous protest.

The acts have sparked condemnation and protests across the Middle East, including from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

In Iraq, protesters stormed the Swedish embassy, and the Swedish ambassador was expelled from Iraq shortly after. Protesters also attempted to protest outside the Danish embassy, but were pushed back by Iraqi security forces.

(Reuters, The New Arab)