Jakarta - The burning of the Quran in Sweden occurred again this time by hardline politician Paludan and his followers.
The Quran burning incident occurred at the same time as the Eid al-Adha celebration and drew condemnation from many countries.
Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim, Chairman of MUI for Foreign Relations and International Cooperation (HLNKI), regretted the repeated burning of the Quran in Sweden.
He deeply regretted the act of burning the Quran committed by Paludan and his followers who defamed the Quran by using the Quran as a shoe cleaner on an important Muslim day, Eid al-Adha.
"In this action, the perpetrators of burning the Koran are still the same as before and are clearly an anti-Islamic group," Sudartono said in a press statement received by MUIDigital, Friday, June 30, 2023.
Sudartono also criticized the Swedish government for allowing the action on the grounds of freedom of expression.
In fact, Muslims around the world have openly condemned these actions.
In addition, the Swedish Government's actions also paved the way for the destruction of democracy and sovereignty of the country.
Therefore, Sudartono argues that the Swedish government should provide a safe space to build a democratic climate.
"First, the Swedish Government must guarantee religious rights for all Swedish residents and foreigners living there. Second, it should encourage tolerance in society. Third, encourage harmony and cooperation between religions and cultures," he explained.
Furthermore, Sudartono hopes that other Western countries can change their views on Islam.
Because the burning of the Quran is not only about the Muslim minority in Sweden, but also about all Muslims in the world.
If the Swedish Government does not respond to condemnation from various countries, including Indonesia, then international trust in Sweden will decline.
Sudartono emphasized that the Swedish Government, Paludan, and his followers should not underestimate this very sensitive issue.
This incident is also proof that the Swedish Government has not taken serious action in handling similar cases that have occurred before, despite criticism and warnings from other countries, including Indonesia.
"I ask the Swedish Ambassador to Indonesia to provide an immediate explanation regarding this case. What I said is part of MUI's support for the Muslim World League's stance on this case," he added.
News reported by Reuters on Thursday, June 29, 2023 reported that the burning of the Quran occurred in front of the central mosque in Stockholm, Sweden, during the Eid al-Adha celebration. The incident was witnessed by around 200 people who were at the location.
One of the two protesters tore a copy of the Quran and used its pages to wipe his shoes before setting it on fire.
During the action, another person gave a speech through a megaphone.