Sweden's government on Sunday condemned this week's burning of a Koran outside Stockholm's main mosque, calling it an "Islamophobic" act, after an international Islamic body called for  measures to avoid future burnings.

"The Swedish Government fully understands that the Islamophobic acts committed by individuals at demonstrations in Sweden can be offensive to Muslims. We strongly condemn these acts, which in no way reflect the views of the Swedish government," the foreign ministry said in a statement, while noting that Sweden had a constitutionally protected freedom of expression.