Holy Quran Protest against desecration in Lahore

LAHORE: Hundreds of people staged a protest in Pakistan on Tuesday to voice outrage over the torching of the Holy Quran in Sweden over the weekend.

Swedish-Danish politician Rasmus Paludan on Saturday set fire to a copy of Holy Quran in front of Turkey’s embassy in the Swedish capital, stoking the anger of Ankara which said it would not support the Scandinavian country´s bid for NATO membership.

Protesters chanted “Shame on Sweden” at the rally in the megacity of Lahore, heeding a call from local political parties. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif tweeted on Sunday: “The garb of the freedom of expression cannot be used to hurt the religious emotions of 1.5 billion Muslims across the world. This is unacceptable.”

Furious that Paludan was allowed by police to carry out the protest, Ankara cancelled a visit by Sweden’s defence minister and summoned Stockholm´s ambassador. The incident was condemned by Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who tweeted: “Freedom of expression is a fundamental part of democracy. “I want to express my sympathy for all Muslims who are offended by what has happened in Stockholm.”