COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe strongly condemned the burning of the Muslim holy book Quran in Sweden, urging Western nations to uphold the value system of the Global South and refrain from inciting unrest in the guise of freedom of expression, said the President's Media Division (PMD) on Wednesday.
The burning of the Quran triggered significant uproar in the area, impacting Sweden as well as numerous other nations, and the act was universally condemned, said Wickremesinghe in a statement released by the PMD.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe (L) arrives for the opening session of the parliament in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka, Feb. 8, 2023. (Xinhua/ MANILA BULLETIN)Â
 Freedom of religion cannot be stripped away by cloaking it under the guise of freedom of expression through alternative interpretations, said the president. "Should this be deemed a matter of expression under external pressure, it will create a distinct division between the powers of the Global South and the Western nations," said Wickremesinghe. Â
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe (L) arrives for the opening session of the parliament in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte, Sri Lanka, Feb. 8, 2023. (Xinhua/ MANILA BULLETIN)Â
 Freedom of religion cannot be stripped away by cloaking it under the guise of freedom of expression through alternative interpretations, said the president. "Should this be deemed a matter of expression under external pressure, it will create a distinct division between the powers of the Global South and the Western nations," said Wickremesinghe. Â