Freedom is not a license to offend religious sanctities, the Grand Imam

Swedish people respect Islam and reject insults against it, Swedish Ambassador to Egypt

His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, Prof. Ahmad al-Tayyeb received Ambassador Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt, the new Swedish Ambassador to Egypt.

The Grand Imam stressed that burning the Holy Quran in Sweden and some countries during recent years provoked the feelings of two billion Muslims around the world, due to the sanctity of the Holy Quran and what it represents for Muslims. His Eminence stressed the need to take firm measures to prevent the recurrence of these crimes that cannot be justified under the slogan of “freedom of expression,” stressing that Freedom should not be used as a pretext to insult religious sanctities.

His Eminence wondered in disapproval about the relationship between freedom of opinion and insulting religions and holy books. He pointed out that the continuation of such actions threatens human values and leads to spreading hatred in societies and stressed that governments must prevent these violations and enact deterrent laws against them as it is a major responsibility that must be upheld.

The Swedish Ambassador expressed his appreciation for the efforts of the Grand Imam in promoting the values of tolerance and coexistence, stressing that the Swedish people respect all religions and reject any acts hostile to Islam. He said that Muslims constitute about 10% of the population of Sweden, and are an integral part of Swedish society, expressing his hope that such incidents will not be repeated in the future.