Updated 00.00 | Published 2024-05-03 22.35
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The Koran burning in central Malmö was drowned out by a spontaneous pro-Palestinian demonstration.
– Don’t listen to him. We are Malmö, Mohammad Alokar shouted into a megaphone and got people to leave the Koran burning.
A man and a woman had applied for a three-hour Koran burning on Gustaf Adolfs torg, not in the middle of central Malmö. The woman was the one holding the baton – while the man dragged a Koran on the ground with a leash and burned a Palestinian flag.
After an hour, a Koran was also set on fire while the woman chanted everything possible that could be perceived as humiliating for a Muslim.
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full screen The Koran burner was met with protests. Photo: Krister Hansson
Message about children
But it wasn’t their demonstration that got the most attention on Friday night. A few meters from the picket fence, a group of people – children and adults – gathered in a ring. Soon their singing and shouting could be heard all over the square. Two men carried megaphones and shouted pro-Palestinian slogans and messages about the war in Gaza.
– All children are equal! All children have the right to life! All children have the right to life, cried Mohammad Alokar.
He and some friends encouraged people to dance. It resulted in some intense ring dancing to Palestinian music. Someone waved a large Palestinian flag while someone handed out copies of the Koran.
Mohammad Alokar shouted the following message into the megaphone:
– Don’t listen to him. It doesn’t matter what he does. We have the Koran in our hearts!
chevron-leftprevchevron-rightnextCounter-protesters shouted, sang and danced.
1 / 4Photo: Krister Hansson
Left the Koran burning
The result was that a majority of the spectators left the Koran burning. Instead, they gathered around the ring dance – clapping hands and singing along.
Mohammad Alokar tells Aftonbladet’s team that he wants Malmö to be united – without violence. That Jews, Muslims and Christians should be able to coexist in the city and that no Koran-burner should be allowed to destroy that by inciting violence.
– We thought it would be better to have a party instead, says Mohammad Alokar.
If there are more Koran burnings, the idea is to do it the same way next time. The Koran burners should not be allowed to destroy Malmö, he believes.
– Think now, maybe he (the Koran burner ed. note) will stop earlier. He is sad now. We must be one – hand in hand. We build Malmö and we build Sweden.
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fullscreenMohammad Alokar. Photo: Krister Hansson
The man and the woman continued with their demonstration, but there were few listeners.
At 17:58, two minutes before the scheduled time, what may have been one of Sweden’s quietest Koran burnings ended.
Not even a riot grate had shaken.
