TEHRAN - Sweden and Denmark are currently facing global fury for authorizing several Quran desecration acts while using the notion of “freedom of speech” as a pretext.

The man who has been taking center stage in this show of madness is Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi immigrant who lives in Sweden. He began his provocative moves by burning a copy of the Quran in front of the Iraqi embassy in Sweden on June 28. In his latest attempt to “practice freedom of speech” he desecrated the Holy Quran in front of the Swedish Parliament.

The desecration acts seem both unbelievable and infuriating to Muslims. They cannot fathom how their deep and valuable beliefs are being targeted in the West. The fact that Sweden and Denmark have allowed such incidents to happen has drawn severe reactions from Muslims and their heads of state.

One of the Muslim nations that has taken up a strict position since the very first Quran desecration incident is Iran. Both the people and the dignitaries have strongly reprimanded the acts and asked for them to be ceased. Here is how Iranians have reacted to the Quran desecration moves so far:

June 29:

- The Swedish diplomat was summoned by the Iranian Foreign Ministry. As the Swedish ambassador was not present in Tehran at the time, the charge’ d’affaires of the Swedish embassy was sent instead. The ministry’s director general of the Western Europe department strongly condemned the Quran desecration incident.

- Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani called Quran burning in Sweden “provocative, ill considered, and unacceptable”. He said Iran would not tolerate such insults.

- While rebuking Swedish authorities, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said allowing the desecration of holy sanctities and the Holy Quran will only fuel terrorism and extremism.

June 30:

- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said the Muslim world would never overlook the recent act of sacrilege against the Holy Quran in a Western country. He called the Quran the “most valuable divine book”.

- Iranian Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf blasted Sweden for the desecration of the Holy Quran. He said, “Insulting religious scriptures is a manifestation of violence, hatred, and contrary to the fundamental values of human rights.”

July 2:

- Iran’s Intelligence Ministry published a statement linking Salwan Momika to the Israeli regime. The statement said, “Momika is a Mossad agent”.

- Iran said it won’t send its newly appointed ambassador to Sweden over Momika’s Quran desecration act.

July 11:

- Amir Abdollahian urged Sweden and other European countries to take “urgent and effective measures” against the Quran desecration incidents. He said hesitation and delay in condemning the recent desecrations show the West’s double standards.

- Iran’s foreign minister calls on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to prevent further Quran-burning acts, warning that it could lead to promoting Islamophobia and extremism.

July 21

- Amir-Abdollahian talked to his Swedish counterpart on the phone and asked that Quran burners get arrested and tried.

- Iranian protesters sit out outside the Swedish embassy in Tehran to oppose the desecration of the Quran and ask for an end to such appalling acts.

     Iranians gather in front of Swedish embassy to slam Quran desecration

Iranians take to the streets of Tehran after Friday prayers while chanting slogans and holding placards to slam the sacrilegious act.

Iranians march streets of Tehran to condemn sacrilege act of Quran burning

July 22:

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, said Sweden has entered a war against the Muslim world. He said the Quran burners must face the “most severe punishment”.

       Iranian leader wants Quran burners to be brought to justice

Hossein Salami, the chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, said Muslims would soon take revenge on all those involved in the sacrilegious act against the Quran. He said those who insult the Holy Quran will never be secure.

General Salami: Quran desecrators will not be secure

July 23:

Iran’s president calls the desecration of the Quran a symbol of “modern ignorance”. He also denounced the authorities who had issued permits for such acts.

July 24:

During a press conference, Kanaani held up a copy of the Quran saying “the Quran is the unifying point among Islamic nations” while denouncing the latest sacrilegious incident.

July 25:

The Iranian Intelligence Ministry released a second statement on Momika to give more details about him. Momika had a notorious past in Iraq and got drafted into Mossad in 2014.

July 29:

The head of Iran’s religious seminaries writes a letter to Sheikh Al-Azhar, the most renowned religious figure in Egypt, praising his position on the desecration of the Quran. Alireza Aarafi also lauded Al-Azhar’s pro-sanctity projects.

July 31:

Amir-Abdollahian speaking during OIC meeting

During an online meeting of the foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iran’s top diplomat asked to internationally “criminalize” the desecration of religious sanctities and also asked to cut ties with countries, like Sweden and Denmark, which allows sacrilegious acts.