Desecration of Quran in Sweden sparks Muslim protests
The Catholic Church in Pakistan has condemned the act and stands in solidarity with Muslims, calling on Sweden to ensure respect for all religions in society. The Pakistani government has also expressed concern for the security of Church buildings in the country.
Christian organizations all over the world have condemned the desecration of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, by an atheist Iraqi refugee in Sweden. Even Pope Francis weighed in on the issue, saying that “any book considered sacred by its believers must be respected.”
The incident took place on June 28, outside the main mosque in Stockholm, as Muslims celebrated the important feast of Eid al-Adha. In response, Muslims are protesting internationally, levelling their criticism at the Swedish government for allowing the act to go unpunished.
And as has happened in similar cases previously, an offense against Muslims in Europe is having serious repercussions for Christian communities in Muslim-majority countries.
Bishop Yousaf Sohan of the Diocese of Multan in Pakistan, who is also the Chairman of the Catholic Commission for Inter-Religious Dialogue and Ecumenism, explained to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that the government had demanded that churches and Church buildings, including schools, increase security measures for protection.
“The country is divided into zones, according to security levels. The Diocese of Multan is in a red zone. We have several church buildings that are closed now because they do not meet the security requirements demanded by the government in this situation,” he said.
For now, reports Bishop Sohan, there is only verbal harassment on social media, but the Church regrets that the disrespectful act of one man living safely in Sweden can negatively affect Christians in a country where desecration of the Quran can lead to life in prison.
“We pray for peace. These incidents should not happen, because they cause great disturbances for our people. We should respect each other’s rights and humanity, regardless of their religion. And being in a country that is already very poor, with difficult conditions for Christians, these incidents lead to greater security risks,” he said.
And heightened security demands present a new challenge for a Church that financially struggles. ACN is actively trying to find solutions for them.
The Catholic Church in Pakistan has already published a statement, through the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NJCP), “strongly condemning” the incident in Stockholm. The NCJP termed the affair a “blatant provocation, disrespectful, and an act of racism and intolerance. While expressing solidarity with Muslim brethren, it falls upon the Swedish government to take concrete steps to ensure the prevalence of respect for all religions in society,” it said.
In 2022, ACN funded 105 projects in Pakistan, including construction and renovation of church facilities, faith formation of laity, and means of transport for pastoral care. The foundation has also increased its support for interreligious dialogue projects. Pakistan was one of the countries highlighted in the recently published Religious Freedom Report.
—Felipe d’Avillez
