UAE and Al Azhar condemn planned burning of Quran by far-right group in Sweden

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation called for values of tolerance and coexistence to be upheld

A police officer stands in front of a blazing bus, in southern Swedish city Malmo. AFP

Police detain a driver who drove a car into roadblocks where Rasmus Paludan, leader of Danish far-right political party Hard Line, was holding a demonstration, at Skanegarden, near Malmo. Reuters

Protesters set fire to a police minibus at Sveaparken, Orebro, south-central Sweden. Rasmus Paludan has been touring the country and at each gathering has attempted to burn a Quran. AP

Police vehicles next to a burning barricade in Malmo. AP

Protesters block a road with a bonfire in Norrkoping, eastern Sweden. AP

Cars are set ablaze in Norrkoping. AP

Police arrest a protester in Norrkoping. AFP

Riot police prepare to enter a shopping centre during protests in Norrkoping. AFP

Counter-protesters gather ahead of a demonstration planned by anti-Muslim politician Rasmus Paludan, in Norrkoping. Reuters

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.