"I feel anger and disgust at these actions. Any book that people consider sacred should be treated with reverence as a sign of respect for believers. Freedom of expression should never be used as an excuse to scorn others," the Pope said in an interview with the Al-Ittihad newspaper.
On June 28, the first day of the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha, a protest in which a Quran was burned took place outside Stockholm's main mosque. The Swedish police authorized the demonstration. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the authorization was "lawful but inappropriate."
The desecration and burning of the Quran in Stockholm sparked a wave of condemnation around the world. Iraq has called on Swedish authorities to extradite the immigrant responsible for the incident. Many heads of state, along with the secretary general of the Arab League and the head of the Gulf Cooperation Council, have condemned the act.