Outcry in Pakistan Over Desecration of the Koran in Sweden

 Thousands of people took to the streets of cities across Pakistan on Friday to demonstrate their outrage at the desecration of the Muslim holy book, the Koran, in Sweden. After Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared the day a show of solidarity for the Koran's sanctity, parties vying for votes in the upcoming election used the event to trumpet their Islamic credentials.

Political rallies, burning of Swedish flags, and effigy-beating were part of the demonstrations held in cities like Karachi and Lahore. Clerics and Imams around the country also spoke out against the burning in their Friday sermons.

Maulana Sheikh Tahir of Islamabad's mosque called for the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador and a severance of diplomatic ties, and urged other Islamic nations to boycott Swedish products.

Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson was also criticized in the protests, with modified Swedish flags reading "#Boycott Sweden" featuring a crossed-out image of him. Pakistan's ambassador in Geneva wrote to the UN Human Rights Council president on Monday to request an urgent debate.

On Thursday, parliament passed a resolution to take legal action against the perpetrator of the burning and ensure that it doesn't happen again. The act of desecration has also sparked outrage from other Islamic countries, with Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco all summoning Swedish ambassadors in protest.

Thousands-strong demonstrations have been held near the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. The incident has highlighted the issue of blasphemy and insults to Islam, which is a galvanizing issue in Pakistan.

Leaders have voiced concerns about rising Islamophobia on the international stage, and the events of the past week have demonstrated the strength of feeling in the Muslim community against any attack on the Koran.