The Assyrian Church of the East expressed on Friday, its condemnation of the burning of the Holy Qur’an in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, in what it described as a disgraceful act.
The Church stated, in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): “The Media circulated that an atheist, of Iraqi origin, burned the Holy Qur’an, on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 in the Swedish capital, Stockholm. It is certainly an individual act that does not represent the position of Christianity as a whole, nor that of any Christian church ".
The statement added, "Therefore, the Assyrian Patriarchate of the Church of the East in Iraq and the world condemns this disgraceful act in the strongest terms because it indicates a serious mistake of the individual responsibility of every human being in respecting the dignity, beliefs, and faith of others."
It stressed that “Committing acts of insult, in any form, against the doctrine of other religions is an irresponsible act aimed at spreading and disseminating hate speech, at a time when we are all called upon to be bridge builders, and to consolidate the bonds of love, tolerance and respect, because this is the basis on which a civilized world can be built, where the criterion of politeness is respect for one another, regardless of our faith.”
“The Assyrian Church of the East, which was founded on the teachings of Christ and the Bible, rejects today, as it has always rejected, all actions and reactions that aim to offend what is sacred, places of worship, and believers of other religions, in any form, at any time, and from by any party or individuals”.
The statement called on all spiritual and religious leaders of all faiths to "warn their followers not to engage in any such acts that involve religious fanaticism and intolerance."
The statement also urged the governments of all countries, especially the Swedish government, not to “allow these acts that are committed in the name of “personal freedom,” concluding by saying: “Every kind of freedom has limits, the most important of which is respecting the dignity and sanctities of others. This is what the Bible teaches us: “Be kind and compassionate to one another,” (Ephesians 4:32).
