On Thursday, as Muslims celebrated the Eid al-Adha holiday, a shocking incident took place in the Swedish capital. 37 year old Iraqi refugee, Salwan Momika, tore up and set fire to pages of the Islamic holy book in an act of desecration outside the Stockholm Central Mosque.

This incident sparked widespread condemnation from a number of countries, including Turkey, Morocco, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Yemen. The US Department of State expressed its opposition to the burning of the Quran, while also urging Turkey to approve Sweden’s NATO bid.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called the Quran desecration “despicable” and said that it was unacceptable to allow such “anti-Islamic actions” under the pretext of freedom of expression. Morocco went beyond a statement of condemnation and recalled its ambassador to Sweden for an indefinite period.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson called the incident “provocative, ill-considered and unacceptable”. They also summoned Sweden’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran and condemned the act, with Iran’s foreign ministry stating that “what might be legal is certainly not necessarily appropriate.” Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry stated that “these hateful and repeated acts cannot be accepted with any justification.”

Egypt’s foreign ministry expressed its deep concern about the incident and “repeated incidents” of the burning of the Quran in Europe, asserting that “Muslims are performing the Haj… insulting their sanctities merely serves the path of spreading hatred and violence, exploiting the principle of freedom of expression.” Iraq called the act “racist” and “irresponsible”, strongly condemning the desecration.

Iraq’s influential Shia leader Moqtada al-Sadr urged people to protest outside the Swedish embassy in Baghdad to demand the removal of the ambassador, calling Sweden “hostile to Islam”. Jordan also condemned the act, calling it “racist” and an “incitement”.

The incident, which was authorised by police, has sparked an international outcry and prompted calls for governments to take action in order to prevent similar occurrences in the future. The burning of the Quran is an act of disrespect, and although it may be legal, it is certainly not appropriate.