Taliban Halt Swedish Activities In Afghanistan After Quran Burning

“After insulting the Holy Quran and the Muslim faith in Sweden, the Islamic Emirate suspends Sweden's activities in Afghanistan until they apologize to the Muslims for this heinous act. IEA's relevant organizations are obliged to comply with this directive,” a statement said.

Meanwhile, the statement urged other Muslim countries to react against the Swedish desecration of the Holy Quran and halt their interaction with the country.

“Looking into the rude act of Sweden, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants other Muslim countries to reconsider their interaction with this country,” the statement added.

The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, a non-governmental organization from Sweden with hundreds of assistance workers working across the country in health, education, and rural development, was expected to be affected by the order.

Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021, Sweden no longer maintains an embassy there.

The burning of the Quran outside a Stockholm mosque by an immigrant from Iraq last month sparked fury throughout the Muslim world.

The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan has not commented on the matter so far, and the Taliban authorities did not specify which organization will be affected by the order.

Meanwhile, this comes after a dire humanitarian crisis in the country, and the UN has faced budget reductions, which shows that the donor countries are curtailing their financial support.

MENAFN11072023000228011069ID1106583546