Australia condemns Quran desecration, attack on Swedish embassy in Iraq
The Australian embassy in Baghdad. Photo: Australian embassy in Iraq/Facebook
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Australian embassy in Iraq issued a statement condemning the desecration of the Quran in Copenhagen and the attack on the Swedish embassy in Baghdad.
The statement mentioned that Australia unequivocally opposes the desecration of the Quran and other religious texts.
The statement elaborated that such acts are provocative and entirely inconsistent with Australia’s firmly held belief in the freedom of religion and the equality of all people.
The Australian embassy expressed its disappointment at the failure to prevent recent Quran burnings in Copenhagen.
The statement also revealed that there are no Danish officials on the Australian embassy compound in Baghdad.
Australia supports the right to protest, but incursions into diplomatic premises cannot be justified. Australia expects governments to honor their obligations under the Vienna Convention to protect diplomatic missions and staff in all circumstances, according to the statement.
The statement added that Australia has a vibrant Muslim community, and many Iraqis call Australia home.
Two people burned a copy of the Quran outside the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen on Monday, raising the possibility of a deterioration in relations between Iraq and Denmark.
One of the two people crushed the copy of the Quran into the ground with his feet and set it on fire, placing the Iraqi flag next to it on the ground.
The two people belong to a Danish anti-Islam group called Danske Patrioter (Danish Patriots), which carried out a similar incident last week, broadcasting it directly on Facebook.
The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned in a statement that Iraq condemns the burning of the Quran outside its embassy in Copenhagen, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry called on the authorities of the European Union to quickly reconsider the so-called freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate, INA reported.
Iran and Iraq witnessed protests after the authorities in Denmark and Sweden allowed the burning of copies of the Quran under laws protecting the right to freedom of expression.
Protesters in Iraq set fire to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad last Thursday.
Thousands of Iraqis demonstrated in Baghdad on Saturday to condemn the burning or tearing of copies of the Quran in Sweden and Denmark.
The spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Al-Sahhaf, announced on Monday that Danish diplomats left Baghdad two days ago.