Iraqi FM urges Danish counterpart to prevent acts offensive to Islam

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, stressed the need to prevent acts offensive to Islam and the Holy Quran during a phone call with his Danish counterpart on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

The statement illustrated that the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, confirmed the Danish government’s rejection of anti-Islamic acts.

Hussein expressed that the government and people of Iraq denounce the burning and desecration of the Quran and the Iraqi flag in Denmark, indicating that such actions contradict human rights.

The Iraqi Foreign Minister called on the Danish government to confront the recurrence of such provocative acts offensive to religions, expressing that Iraq welcomes the resolution issued by the United Nations General Assembly to promote interreligious and intercultural dialogue and tolerance in countering hate speech.

Hussein also elaborated that the Iraqi government is eager to maintain the safety of diplomatic missions in Iraq, including the Danish mission.

The Iraqi Foreign Minister emphasized that Iraq respects freedom of expression in accordance with international laws.  

Rasmussen expressed Denmark’s condemnation of acts offensive to religions, stressing that the Danish government strongly rejects such anti-Islamic acts, renewing the Danish government’s commitment to protecting the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen.

Hussein’s remarks took place after tensions in the diplomatic relations rose between Iraq from one side and Sweden and Denmark from the other side after Quran burning incidents occurred in the past few days in Stockholm and Copenhagen, and in response, protests took place outside the embassies of the two countries in Baghdad.