A small group of protesters in the Danish capital set fire to a copy of the Quran, Islam's holy book, on Monday, further escalating diplomatic tensions between Denmark and Muslim countries.

The far-right group "Danish Patriots" organized the burning and shared a video on social media showing a man desecrating the Muslim holy book while stomping on an Iraqi flag.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry issued a statement strongly condemning the incident, stating, "the repetition of the burning of a copy of the holy Quran [sic] in front of the Iraqi embassy in Denmark." Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, during meetings with EU ambassadors, emphasized that such acts have nothing to do with freedom of expression and called on EU countries to combat racist acts and any form of incitement to violence.

This is not the first instance of Quran desecration in Denmark. Just a few days earlier, a similar protest group burned a copy of the Quran near the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen, which led to violent protests in Iraq. In response to the incident in Sweden, where a Quran was reportedly stepped on during a demonstration, the Iraqi government expelled the Swedish ambassador.

The protests in Iraq saw nearly a thousand people gathering in Baghdad, attempting to march to the Danish embassy in the heavily fortified Green Zone, but they were stopped by security forces. As a result, Denmark's diplomatic staff reportedly left the embassy for safety.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry strongly condemned these acts, denouncing them as perpetuating "the virus of extremism and hate" and posing a significant threat to the peaceful coexistence of societies.

These repeated incidents of Quran burning have heightened tensions and strained diplomatic relations between Denmark and Muslim-majority countries. The burning of Islam's holy book is considered deeply offensive to Muslims and has triggered outrage and protests in Iraq and other nations.

The Danish authorities are under pressure to take action against those responsible for the desecration and to address the growing concerns from Muslim communities. In a bid to quell the situation, Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani called for international cooperation in countering such racist acts and promoting peaceful coexistence among diverse societies. However, it remains to be seen how these events will impact the relations between Denmark and Muslim nations moving forward.