Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid, the official spokesperson for the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Director of Public Diplomacy, stated that Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry received a phone call today, Friday, from Tobias Billström, the Swedish Foreign Minister, addressing the issue of recurring incidents of violating the sanctity of the Holy Quran.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs clarified that the call between the Foreign Ministers comes amidst the unfortunate repetition of crimes of burning and desecrating the Holy Quran in Sweden, which represents a blatant disregard for the right to freedom of expression, and its misuse in a way that provokes the sentiments of Muslims around the world.
Ambassador Ahmed Abu Zeid mentioned that the Swedish Foreign Minister expressed to his Egyptian counterpart at the beginning of the call his condemnation of the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents in his country, given the disrespect they entail towards the beliefs of others. He referred to his country’s initiation of studying ways to limit such racist actions and various forms of prejudice against a religion or belief.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that Minister Sameh Shoukry conveyed the Egyptian side’s displeasure and rejection of allowing the repetition of incidents of burning and desecration of the Holy Quran, which contradicts various values of freedom of expression and infringes on the rights of others. He pointed out that the repetition of such provocations undermines efforts to enhance communication and interfaith dialogue, which all countries strive to establish to promote coexistence and peace in societies.
On the other hand, the conversation between the Foreign Ministers touched upon the course of bilateral relations between Egypt and Sweden, and existing cooperation in a number of economic and developmental fields. The Swedish official was keen to listen to the Foreign Minister’s assessment of the situation in Sudan, and the efforts undertaken by Egypt bilaterally and within the mechanism of Sudan’s neighboring countries to end the Sudanese crisis and deal with its repercussions.
