Jul 28, 2023 at 8:42 PMUpdate: 6 minutes ago
Recently, several Koran burnings have taken place in Sweden. These are more common in Scandinavia, but in Sweden the protests are leading to more and more unrest. The right to freedom of expression, which is important to Sweden, is now a national threat.
The unrest surrounding Koran burnings in Sweden started last year. Then Danish right-wing extremist Rasmus Paludan came to Sweden for a series of Koran protests. This caused riots in Malmö, Örebro, Linköping and Landskrona. Most riots only resulted in material damage. But in Norrköping several people were injured.
After that it was quieter in the country for a while, until last January. Then a Koran burning took place in the capital Stockholm. Turkey reacted angrily. Sweden could not use that, because it needed Turkey’s support to join NATO.
The Swedish government then banned several demonstrations. But the judge put a stop to that. The police can ban demonstrations, for example if national security is at stake. But according to the judge, there was not enough clarity about that.
The first demonstration after that ruling took place at the end of June, also in Stockholm. The originally Iraqi Salwan Momika set fire to a Koran, stuffed bacon in between and wiped his feet with it.
Momika’s action soon turned out to be a fuse in a powder keg. Several new actions followed, as a result of which Sweden is now under fire in a large part of the Muslim world. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is very concerned about the consequences of any new actions.
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Swedish law allows insults about religion
“The fact that the Koran burnings are allowed to continue is due to the simple fact that it is legally permitted,” says Sweden expert Petra Broomans of the University of Groningen against NU.nl. Swedish law allows citizens to express their doubts about religious messages. It is also allowed to spread opinions that believers may experience as hurtful.
“In Sweden, freedom of expression is considered very important,” explains Broomans. “Almost all Swedes are strongly in favor of it and believe that freedom of expression should continue to exist.” According to Broomans, this way of thinking fits the Swedish national character.
Sweden is a country of live and let live.
Petra Broomans, University of Groningen
“Sweden is a country of live and let live. People don’t want to be a burden to each other. You have to be able to say everything. Put in black and white: what your neighbor says in his front yard is none of your business. In Sweden you will not easily see people addressing each other about their behavior.”
No majority for ban on book burnings
A majority in Sweden therefore does not think that book burnings should be banned. This is evident from a poll by the Swedish research agency Novus among a thousand Swedes, about which Swedish daily newspaper writes. Four out of ten Swedes would think that book burnings should be banned.
“You have people for and you have people against. You have Swedes who say, ‘Gosh, it’s just a book.’ And people who say, ‘You don’t do this,'” says Broomans.
Rumors are circulating in Sweden that the Russians are behind the burnings to thwart Sweden’s NATO membership. “That theory has not been proven. But many Swedes, like us, want to know what it is and why this is happening.”
The Swedish government, and Prime Minister Kristersson in particular, is in any case at a loss, explains Broomans. He has to balance on a thin rope in the middle of the turmoil.
“On the one hand, the government must accommodate the nationalist and right-wing Sweden Democrats (SD), because that is how they rule. SD is fiercely opposed to Islam. On the other hand, the government must also listen to parties that oppose the book burnings .”
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Despite threat, threat level does not go up
It is not clear how things will continue now. For the time being, the Swedish government is not taking any steps to prevent Koran burnings.
The Swedish security service SÄPO said that the terrorism threat level will not be raised because of the Koran burnings. But not much is needed for a possible increase, said Charlotte von Essen, head of the service.
Several new requests have been made for Koran burnings in the coming days, including in Stockholm. It is therefore up to the police to assess whether they are allowed to continue. But a judgment on the applications has not yet been made, reported SVT News.
In any case, a Torah burning in Stockholm on Friday ended with a fizzle. The holy book was not lit.
2023-07-28 18:42:17
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