Burning the Islamic holy book “is offensive, disrespectful and a clear provocation,” Borrell said in a statement. Diversity and tolerance for religious communities are key values of the EU and “expressions of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance have no place” here, the top diplomat added.
On Tuesday, a Quran was burned during far-right anti-Islam demonstrations in front of the Egyptian and Turkish embassies in Copenhagen. Sweden and Denmark have witnessed a number of recent Quran burnings, which inflamed tensions with Turkey.
“Not everything that is legal is ethical,” Borrell said. Some Quran burnings by far-right protestors were authorized by police, however both the Danish and the Swedish governments have condemned the acts.
