Picture used for illustrative purposes.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The UAE strongly condemned the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran in Denmark.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation affirmed the UAE's permanent rejection of all practices that aim to destabilize security and stability and contradict human and moral values and principles.

The ministry stressed the need to respect religious symbols and sanctities and to avoid incitement and polarization, at a time when the world needs to work together to spread the values of tolerance and coexistence, and reject hatred and extremism.

Turkey on Saturday denounced the desecration of the Quran and the Turkish flag in Denmark, the second such instance in the country this year.

The incident late Friday was a hate crime, the Foreign Ministry said, stressing that Turkey will never accept such "vile actions being allowed under the guise of freedom of expression."