TEHRAN, Aug. 27 (MNA) -- Iranian Foreign Ministry here on Monday summoned the caretaker of the Swedish Embassy Gunilla von Bahr to protest over a sacrilegious picture of the Prophet Muhammad (S) appearing in a Swedish newspaper.

Bahr was summoned in absence of the Swedish Ambassador to Tehran Christopher Gyllentierna.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry Director General for Central and North European Affairs Ali Baqeri condemned the publication of the picture and called it “an insult to the religious feelings of more than one billion Muslims all over the world.”
Baqeri told the Swedish embassy official that the Islamic Republic respects press freedom but this liberty should not be used as an excuse for insulting “followers of religions.”
He said “In a liberal society paying respect to the beliefs of others is a part of freedom” and urged the Swedish government to condemn the publication of the picture.
He went on to say that such actions might have been taken by some groups seeking to undermine Sweden’s good ties with Islamic states.
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