ANKARA

Australia on Wednesday condemned the provocative act of burning a copy of the Muslim holy book, the Quran.

"Australia condemns the burning of the Qur'an in Denmark and Sweden. We stand against prejudice and hatred," Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong tweeted.

She added that freedom of religion is a fundamental human right and Australia is also concerned by violent protests in Iraq.

"We must all stand together to prevent violence and division," she said.

On Friday, members of the Islamophobic and far-right nationalist group "Danske Patrioter (Danish Patriots)" burned a copy of the Holy Quran in front of Iraq's Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Earlier this week, Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi refugee living in Sweden trampled the Quran, just weeks after he set fire to pages of the holy book outside a Stockholm mosque.

In January this year, Rasmus Paludan, a far-right Danish leader, burned a copy of the Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm. The incident sparked outrage and condemnation across the Islamic world.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid