The government of Maldives has strongly condemned the abhorrent act of desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden carried out by Rasmus Paludan, leader of the far-right political party Stram Kurs, on January 21, 2023.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said such acts of Islamophobia undermine all efforts to uphold the values of tolerance and coexistence despite the progress made in building bridges of understanding and social cohesion, only serving to exacerbate hatred and extremism in the societies.
Meanwhile, Muslims around the world have erupted in anger and alarm after Sweden allowed Rasmus Paludan to burn a copy of the Holy Quran in front of the Turkish embassy building in Stockholm.