Saudi Arabia summons Danish diplomat to protest Quran burning

Saudi Arabia summoned a Danish diplomat to protest desecration of the Quran by an extreme-right group in Copenhagen, state media reported early on Friday.

During the meeting on Thursday with the Danish charge d'affaires, foreign ministry officials delivered a protest note urging an end to "these disgraceful acts, which violate all religious teachings (and) international laws and norms" and can "fuel hatred between religions", the official Saudi Press Agency said.

The far-right group Danske Patrioter on Monday posted a video in which a man is seen desecrating and burning what appeared to be the Muslim holy book.

It was just the latest such incident to stir anger in the Muslim world.

Saudi Arabia, home to the holy cities Makkah and Medina, has also denounced protests by a Sweden-based Iraqi refugee who last month burned pages of the Quran outside Stockholm's main mosque.

In a separate protest last week, the refugee, Salwan Momika, stepped on the Quran but did not burn it, prompting Riyadh to hand a protest note to the Swedish charge d'affaires.

Saudi Arabia and Iraq have called for an extraordinary meeting, expected to be held on Monday, of the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address Quran desecration in both Sweden and Denmark.

On Thursday, the 57-member body's secretary general, Hissein Brahim Taha, received a phone call from Sweden's foreign minister, Tobias Billstrom, who said Stockholm rejects acts that insult the Quran and wants to maintain good relations with OIC members, the OIC said in a statement.

Agence France-Presse