The UAE has strongly condemned the planned burning of copies of the holy Quran by extremists in Sweden.
Three members of the public and more than a dozen police officers were injured when riots broke out in Sweden over plans by Danish anti-Islam group Stram Kurs to burn copies of the Quran in towns and cities.
The far-right party was eventually forced to abandon its rallies over security concerns, after hundreds of protesters threw stones and set cars on fire at the events.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation said the UAE rejected all practices aimed at destabilising security and breaching moral values, news agency Wam reported.
It said religious symbols must be respected and religions must not be insulted. The ministry called for values of tolerance and coexistence to be upheld.
Al Azhar Mosque and University in Egypt's capital Cairo, considered the world's leading institution on Sunni Islam, also condemned the planned burning of copies of the Quran.
It called for the enactment of international legislation to prevent the desecration of religious sanctities.
“The noble Quran will remain in its lofty place as a guide for humanity. Its sanctity will not be compromised by the grudges of the young, nor the actions of those who stir up sedition and endorse hate,” Al Azhar said on Monday.
It called the encroachment on religious sanctities a “barbaric apostasy” that disregards human values and fosters violence and hatred.
Al Azhar called such acts a flagrant violation of all international laws that stipulate the need to respect the sanctities of people and their religions.
