Swedish state grants permit for another Quran burning demonstration

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
31 Jul 2023 15:51
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Organizers of the protesters vow to keep burning the book until it is banned from the country.

A worshipper holds a copy of the Quran Swedish-sanctioned Quran desecration demonstrations Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 21, 2023 (AP)

Swedish police have granted a permit for a protest outside the Swedish parliament in which the organizers plan to burn the Koran, sparking diplomatic tensions and concerns over security.

The organizers of the protest expressed their desire to see the Muslim holy book banned in Sweden. One of the leading organizers, Salwan Najem, vowed to burn it repeatedly until the ban was implemented.

The Quran-burning demonstration was granted a permit for 1:00 p.m. today. Several similar state-sanctioned demonstrations were organized earlier in Sweden which has led to diplomatic tensions with several Islamic and Arab countries.

The deterioration of Swedish relations with Middle Eastern countries has prompted neighboring Denmark to consider legal means to prevent similar incidents within its borders.

In response to the escalating situation, the Swedish government has ordered 15 government bodies, including law enforcement agencies and the armed forces, to bolster anti-terrorism efforts.

Furthermore, both Swedish and Danish envoys have been summoned to multiple Middle Eastern nations, with Saudi Arabia and Iraq calling for a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah to address the concerning incidents of Quran desecration in both countries.

The police in Sweden have repeatedly denied permits for protests involving the desecration of the Quran, but their decision was overturned by courts under the pretext of supporting freedom of speech.

On Sunday, the government of Denmark announced intentions to look into legal means to stop protests that involve burning holy texts in certain situations, basing their claim on security concerns after international backlash over Sweden and Denmark's Quran desecration.

Arguing that it played into the hands of extremists, the government, in its Foreign Ministry statement, said it wants to explore intervening in circumstances where "other countries, cultures, and religions are being insulted, and where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark, not least with regard to security."

It added, "This must of course be done within the framework of the constitutionally protected freedom of expression and in a manner that does not change the fact that freedom of expression in Denmark has very broad scope," calling it one of the country's most important values.

According to the statement, the protests have "reached a level where Denmark, in many parts of the world across continents, is being viewed as a country that facilitates insult and denigration of the cultures, religions, and traditions of other countries."

The "primary purpose" of some of the actions, it continued, was meant to provoke and "could have significant consequences."

In response to the Quran desecration, Danish and Swedish envoys were summoned from Middle Eastern nations. Reactions across the Middle East continue to inflate and spread as European nations not only continue to protect suspects but continue to sleep on taking any action to prosecute them.