Protests sweep across Afghanistan over burning of Quran in Sweden, Netherlands

Notably, a protest in Stockholm erupted last week against Turkey and Sweden's bid to join NATO, including the burning of a copy of the Quran, sharply heightened tensions with Turkey at a time when the Nordic country needs Ankara's backing to gain entry to the military alliance.

Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the Danish far-right political party Hard Line, had previously burned a copy of the Holy Quran in front of Turkey's embassy in Stockholm, Sweden.

Following the incident in Stockholm, Edwin Wagensfeld, the leader of the extremist anti-Islam group Pegida in the Netherlands, tore up pages and burned another copy of the Holy Quran in Den Haag, several media reports said.

"We strongly condemn it and will not allow anyone to humiliate the holy Quran and humanity," said Mujeeb Rahman, a resident of Nimroz. The protests were also in the provinces of Baghlan, Balkh, Badghis and Nimroz, TOLOnews reported.

Several countries around the world responded strongly to the incidents.

"Those who call themselves the supporters and defenders of human rights and democracy, they today humiliated our religion. We have not humiliated anyone's religion and will not allow anyone to do so," said another resident from Baghlan, Ilham Nabizada.

"We don't have even a slight tolerance for disrespecting our holy books, particularly the holy Quran," TOLOnews reported Sultan Bik, head of the religious clerics of Kabul as saying.

The Turkish ministry urged Sweden to take necessary actions against the perpetrators and invited all countries to take concrete steps against Islamophobia, reported CNN.

A separate protest took place in the city supporting Kurds and against Sweden's bid to join NATO. A group of pro-Turkish demonstrators also held a rally outside the embassy. All three events had police permits. (ANI)