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Freedom of islamophobia

Iran's Foreign Ministry summons the Swedish and Danish charges d'affaires to protest the two countries repeatedly authorizing the desecration of the Holy Qur’an. The ministry strongly condemned the brazen and heinous acts. It said the Swedish and Danish governments are fully responsible for the serious consequences of such acts of blasphemy. The ministry also echoed warnings by the Leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolution against supporting the blasphemers. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei had said that backing those guilty of desecrating the Holy Qur’an is tantamount to going into battle array against the world of Islam. The acts of sacrilege have sparked protests and condemnations across the Muslim world with calls for boycotting Danish and Swedish products.

Coup in Niger

Several thousand people have rallied in the capital of Niger in support of last month's military coup. The demonstrators chanted slogans against former colonial power France and the West African regional bloc ECOWAS. They waved placards reading, "Stop the military intervention" and "No to sanctions.” Niger's military leaders say France is behind the anti-coup stance taken by ECOWAS. The bloc is considering a potential military operation to reinstate pro-Western president Mohamed Bazoum if ongoing negotiations with coup leaders fail. ECOWAS has also imposed financial and trade restrictions on the country. The junta in Niamey has warned that an attack on Niger would not be a "walk in the park." It says a transition of power back to civilian rule would not go beyond three years.

West arming Ukraine

The Netherlands and Denmark have pledged to send F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, once conditions for the transfer have been met. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte rubber-stamped the agreement during a visit by the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky to a military airbase in the Netherlands. Denmark’s foreign ministry also confirmed the decision in a statement. The conditions for the transfer include trained Ukrainian F-16 personnel as well as necessary infrastructure and logistics. The Dutch and Danish governments will be training Ukrainian pilots starting this month. Zelensky described the deal as historic, adding that the exact number of deliveries will be discussed later. The announcement comes a few days after the US approved the transfer of the fighter jets by the two European countries. Russia has warned that the West’s delivery of increasingly sophisticated weapons to Ukraine only prolongs the conflict and could lead to a major escalation.

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