Sri Lankan government has condemned the burning of the Holy Quran, the sacred text of Islam, outside a mosque in Sweden amidst Eid al-Adha celebrations earlier this week.

In a statement issued on Friday (June 30) with regard to the incident, the Sri Lankan government said, “The exercise of the freedom of expression carries with it the responsibility to exercise this right in a manner that respects the rights of others and to ensure that it does not give license to create divisions and hatred based on religion.”

The statement further noted that in the interest of national and international peace and harmony, all countries and individuals have an obligation to prevent acts of religious intolerance and hatred which lead to polarization among communities.

On Wednesday (June 28), an Iraqi named Salwan Momika, who is said to be living in Sweden, set fire to a copy of Islam’s holy book 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.

This risks angering Turkey, where an overwhelming majority of the population is Muslim, as Sweden bids to join NATO. Sweden had sought NATO membership in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. However, alliance member Turkey held up the process, accusing Sweden of harbouring ‘terrorists’ and demanding their extradition.