Turkey condemns desecration of Holy Quran in Norway

ANKARA: Turkey condemned the desecration of the Holy Quran in a Norwegian city in strong words, on Friday.

In a video on social media, the 'Muslim hero' could be seen jumping into the barricaded circle to save the holy book from being desecrated. The rally soon turned violent, after which police took Thorsen and his attackers into custody. The incident took place in the Norwegian city of Kristiansand. Following the incident, netizens took to social media to praise the man for his attempt to save the Holy Quran.

"We strongly condemn the disrespect for our holy book, the Holy Quran, in a demonstration organized by an anti-Islamic organization on 16 November 2019 in Kristiansand, Norway," read a statement from the Turkish foreign ministry. ""We expect that such actions to be prevented and those who are responsible to be brought to justice as soon as possible."

Turkey urged the western world in its statement to counter Islamophobia and xenophobia, expressing deep concern over rising incidents of the former in western Europe.

"These attacks are not only aimed at Muslims, but also pose a threat to all humanity," said the ministry.

The ministry stated that Turkey would lead international efforts in battling terrorism and other acts of violence based on religion or belief.