Ugandan Muslims condemn the burning of Quran in Sweden

The Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje has joined fellow Muslims around the world to condemn the burning of Quran by Rasmus Paludan, the Swedish-Danish far-right leader outside the Turkiye’s embassy in Stockholm Sweden.

Mubaje expressed his disappointment in his statement issued by Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa, the Second Deputy Mufti at a meeting organized by the Islamic Religious Affairs Ministry of the Republic of Turkey through its Welfare Organization- Diyanet Isleri Baskanligi.

The meeting that was conducted via Zoom attracted up to 130 participants from 69 Countries.

The participants included ministers, top Muslim clerics, Muslim leaders, scholars, and academicians, among others.

In his remarks, Sheikh Waiswa paid tribute to Turkey's government for standing up to safeguard the face of Islam globally and organizing a timely meeting to respond to the hateful crime and discretion of the Quran.

Waiswa noted that the abuse of divine Islam rituals isn't new.

 “It is a wake-up call for us to reflect and find a sound and appropriate response based on the etiquettes of the Holy Quran that emphasise patience, wisdom, mercy, forgiveness, being peaceful, and promoting reconciliation,” he said.

He said there is a need to emulate Prophet Muhammad’s responses in handling miseries as they unfolded during various events in his lifetime.

“There is also a need to look into the historical accounts of the prophet's successors who took over after his demise because they too faced similar calamities and, in the end, were victorious,” he said.

Recently, a Danish-Swedish far-right extremist known for spreading anti-Muslim hatred burned a copy of the Holy Quran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm under the protection of Swedish police.

The incident has not only drawn condemnation from Muslims worldwide, but many non-Muslim leaders also expressed their disapproval of it.

A large segment of Europeans, including many strong voices inside Sweden, have defended this vile act under the pretext of upholding freedoms of speech and expression.

Swedish state authorities wilfully became bystanders, enabling a far-right politician to burn the sacred Quran outside the Turkish embassy.

 Although the Swedish government has come up with some face-saving statements, denouncing the desecration of Islam's holy book and describing it as an attempt to sabotage the country's NATO bid, its decision to allow this nauseating spectacle sent a clear message to Muslims worldwide that the Nordic state has no respect for the followers of Islam.

Muslims in Uganda condemned the burning of Quran during a protest in Sweden, describing it as a "vile act".

Muslims consider the Quran the sacred word of God and view any intentional damage or show of disrespect towards it as deeply offensive.

Turkey is a majority Muslim country. Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement denouncing the act, which it said happened despite "repeated warnings".