US says Quran burning in Sweden 'disrespectful’ but falls short of condemning it

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US on Monday said an extremist's burning of a Quran in front of Türkiye's Embassy in the Swedish capital Stockholm was “deeply disrespectful” but stopped short of condemning it.

“Just as the Swedish prime minister said, burning books that are holy to many is a deeply disrespectful act,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters.

Stressing that the US supports freedom of association and the right to peaceful assembly as elements of democracy, Price said: “And he(Swedish Prime Minister) made the point that what is legal is not necessarily appropriate.”

“We have a saying in this country: something can be lawful but awful,” he said. "I think in this case, what we've seen in the context of Sweden falls into that category.”

Price said those behind the burning of the Islam’s holy book “may be engaging in an intentional effort to try to weaken unity across the Atlantic within and among our European allies and partners.”

Rasmus Paludan, an extremist Danish politician, on Saturday burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, with both police protection and permission from the government.