Pope Francis has said that the recent burning of the Koran in front of Stockholm’s largest mosque angered and disgusted him, and that he rejects and condemns the authorization of the act in the name of freedom of speech, Reuters reports.

“Any book that is considered sacred must be respected in order to respect those who believe in it,” the Pope said in an interview with Al Ittihad newspaper from the United Arab Emirates published on Monday, according to Agerpres.

“I feel angry and disgusted by these actions,” the sovereign pontiff added.

“Freedom of expression must never be used as a means of insulting others, and allowing it is rejected and condemned,” the Pope emphasized.

Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee in Sweden, burned several pages of the Koran last Wednesday in front of Stockholm’s largest mosque during Eid al-Adha, a holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world, drawing condemnation from several countries, including Turkey. whose support Sweden needs to become a member of NATO.

Although Swedish police have rejected several recent requests to allow demonstrations against the Koran, the courts have overturned these decisions as infringing on freedom of speech.

On Sunday, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), an international group of 57 countries, said collective action was needed to prevent acts of desecration of the Koran and that international law should be used to end religious hatred.