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Russian Orthodox Church labels Quran burning in Sweden as 'unacceptable vandalism'

The head of the Synodal Department for Church Relations with Society and the Media of the Moscow Patriarchate, Vladimir Legoyda, noted that in the political struggle one cannot "cross the boundaries of humanity and offend religious shrines"

Head of the Synodal Department of the Moscow Patriarchate for Relations between the Church, Society and the Media Vladimir Legoyda Vitaly Smolnikov/TASS

Head of the Synodal Department of the Moscow Patriarchate for Relations between the Church, Society and the Media Vladimir Legoyda

© Vitaly Smolnikov/TASS

MOSCOW, January 23. /TASS/. Chairman of the Moscow Patriarchate’s Synodal Department for Society and Mass Media Relations Vladimir Legoyda on Sunday criticized the recent burning of a copy of the Quran in Sweden.

"The Quran burning near the Turkish embassy in Sweden is an act of unacceptable vandalism," he said on Telegram. "One shouldn’t spit at something that’s sacred for another person. One shouldn’t as part of political struggle cross the boundaries of humaneness and desecrate holy things."

The Saturday’s burning of the holy book was carried out by Rasmus Paludan, leader of the far-right political party Hard Line. Paludan also criticized NATO, Turkey and its president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Russian Muslim community earlier also condemned the burning.

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