Morocco’s diplomacy has condemned the “insulting” and “irresponsible” act of recalling the kingdom’s ambassador to Sweden yesterday, Wednesday, after the burning of a copy of the Koran in Stockholm, according to a press release issued Wednesday night to Thursday.

“The Swedish government, once again, approved a demonstration (…) during which the Holy Quran was burned in front of an Islamic mosque in Stockholm,” the text reads.

“This new offensive and irresponsible act defies the feelings of more than one billion Muslims in this holy period of the great pilgrimage to Mecca and the blessed holiday of Eid al-Adha,” the Moroccan diplomacy said.

“In the face of these repeated provocations, committed under the benevolent gaze of the Swedish government”, and at the behest of the Moroccan King Mohammed VI, Sweden’s charge d’affaires in Rabat was summoned yesterday to the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

When he arrived “he was expressed the strongest condemnation by the Kingdom of Morocco of this insult and rejection of this unacceptable act,” the press release continues.

In addition, Morocco’s ambassador to Sweden, Karim Medrek, in post from December 14, 2021, “was recalled for consultations in the kingdom for an indefinite period,” it added.

A man burned pages of a copy of the Koran in front of Stockholm’s largest Islamic mosque yesterday during a “rally” authorized by Swedish police.

The gesture, which coincided with Eid al-Adha, which is celebrated by Muslims around the world, was watched by about a hundred onlookers and journalists.

The man who carried out the self-immolation – which has also been strongly criticized by Ankara and Washington – is a 37-year-old Iraqi who has fled his country.

In January, a Swedish far-right extremist burned a copy of the Koran a short distance from the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, sparking outrage across the Muslim world.