A riot broke out in the southern Swedish town of Malmo, after a copy of the Qur’an was burned by right-wing extremists.
Several anti-Islam activities took place including three men kicking a copy of the Qur’an between them in a public square.
The anti-Islam protests occurred after a leader of Danish far-right political party Hard Line, Rasmus Paludan, was denied permission to have a meeting in Malmo and was stopped at the Swedish border.
Paludan grabbed media attention last year for burning a Qur’an wrapped in bacon – which is forbidden in Islam.
Another anti-Islam protest was held by the far-right group Stop the Islamization of Norway (SION) in Oslo, Norway – where a protester tore out pages of the Qur’an and spat on them.
The incidents attracted widespread condemnation from Muslim countries and human rights organizations.
Turkey warned that the disrespectful act against the Muslim holy book fans the flames of anti-Muslim hatred.
Turkish Foreign Ministry said such acts do not only target Muslims but the rule of law and democracy as a whole.
“These remnants of the Nazis infiltrate the societies in which they live in like viruses and harm them,” the ministry said.
The Organization of Islamic Corporation (OIC) described the burning as an “act of incitement and provocation” and “contradicts with global efforts to combat extremism and incitement to hatred based on religion and faith”.
