In an interview with the United Arab Emirates newspaper al-Ittihad, published on Monday, Pope Francis expressed his condemnation of the burning of the Quran in Sweden. The pope emphasized the importance of respecting any book deemed sacred by its followers, out of respect for the believers. He further expressed his feelings of anger and disgust towards such actions.
“Freedom of speech should never be used as a means to despise others and allowing that is rejected and condemned,” the pontiff added

Last week, a person identified as Salwan Momika burned a copy of the Muslim holy book under police protection in front of Stockholm Mosque in Sweden.

His provocative act was timed to coincide with Eid al-Adha, one of the major Islamic religious festivals celebrated by Muslims worldwide.

The act has elicited widespread condemnations from across the Islamic world, including Türkiye, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Senegal, Morocco and Mauritania.

In January, a far-right politician also set fire to a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Sweden.