LNP – President deplores burning of Quran in Sweden, urges West to respect Global South’s values

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has deplored the burning of the Holy Quran outside a mosque in Sweden amidst Eid al-Adha celebrations two weeks ago, deeming it “a violation of the freedom of worship”.

On June 28, an Iraqi named Salwan Momika, who is said to be living in Sweden, set fire to a copy of Islam’s sacred text outside the central mosque in Stockholm, sparking anger among Muslims across the world.

Swedish police had initially granted permission for the protest to take place, but the demonstrator was later charged with agitation against an ethnic or national group.

In a statement, the Sri Lankan Head of State urged the Western nations to respect the value system of the Global South – the countries around the world that are traditionally described as developing, less developed, or underdeveloped.

He also called on the leaders of Western nations to disallow the spread of disorder under the pretense of freedom of expression.