The Swedish police confirmed to the German News Agency (dpa) that the protester in Sweden, who intended to burn a copy of the Jewish Torah today, Saturday (July 15, 2023), ultimately refrained from doing so.
The man threw a lighter on the ground in front of the Israeli embassy, and made it clear that he did not intend to burn the Jewish Bible, but that as a Muslim he wanted to call for mutual respect, according to the Swedish broadcaster SVT.
The man’s move comes after the police allowed the organization of a protest in which the Torah and a copy of the Bible were burned.
He was a Muslim of Syrian origin who claimed he wanted to burn the Torah and the Bible on Saturday Stockholm He backed out, explaining that he wanted to expose Those who burn holy books like The Quran in Scandinavian country.
On Friday, the Swedish police allowed the 32-year-old resident of Sweden, who is of Syrian origin, to demonstrate in front of the police station. Israeli embassya decision condemned by Israel and various religious organizations.
The organizer of the demonstration, “Ahmed A.” told reporters that his intention was to criticize people who have burned copies of the Koran in Sweden in recent months, which is not prohibited by Swedish law. He explained that what he intended to do “respond to the people who burn the Koran. I want to show that freedom of expression has limits that must be taken into account.”
He continued, “I want to show that we have to respect each other, we live in the same society. If you burn the Torah and another person burns the Bible and the last of the Qur’an, there will be war here… What I wanted to show is that doing that is not a good thing.” The protesters dispersed peacefully, about fifty meters from the Israeli embassy, on a luxurious avenue in central Stockholm.
A copy of the Qur’an was burned in January by the Danish-Swedish extremist right-wing Rasmus Paludan to denounce Sweden’s request to join NATO and to negotiate with Turkey for this purpose.
And on the 28th of June burnt Iraqi refugee in Sweden a few pages from the Koran in front of the largest mosque in Stockholm on Eid al-Adha. The two incidents sparked a series of condemnations in the Islamic world.
Although the Swedish police stated that the demonstration was not officially authorized to burn a holy book, there is no law in Sweden prohibiting the burning of the Quran, Torah or Bible.
It was the Swedish government denounced In January and June, “insulting” and “Islamophobic” behavior, but it does not intend to change Swedish law, which is more liberal than any other country.
On the other hand, the police can refuse the demonstration if it harms the security of the country or if it leads to acts or words that incite racial hatred.
M.A.H/A.H (DPA, AFP)
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
Since 1997, the “Open Mosque Day” event has been held on the third of October every year, which coincides with German Unity Day. The choice of this particular day was not a coincidence, as the Central Council of Muslims in Germany would like on this day to emphasize that “Muslims are part of German unity, in addition to expressing their connection to the total population in Germany.”
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
The Open Mosque Day was launched this year under the slogan “Mosques yesterday and today”. According to the data of the Muslim Affairs Council in Germany, about a thousand associations that oversee mosques across Germany participate in the activities of this day. The largest event, which includes many guests from political and societal circles, began in the central mosque in Cologne, western Germany, affiliated with the Turkish Islamic Ditib Union.
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
The Corona pandemic cast a shadow over the activities of the “Open Mosque Day” in Germany last year. When the government issued in March 2020 what is known as Corona restrictions, even places of worship, including mosques, closed their doors. However, after easing restrictions in May, it was allowed to return to mosques, with conditions including wearing a muzzle and keeping a distance of 1.5 meters between each person in the mosque. In this picture, it is clear that the number of visitors is low and they are far from each other.
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
At the Sehitlik Martyrs’ Mosque in Berlin’s Neuköllön district, the head of the mosque’s association, Jacob Aiyar, spoke of about 1,500 to 2,000 visitors there. In light of the Corona virus prevention measures, mosque tours were organized as well as a photo and music exhibition. Despite the continuing repercussions of the Corona pandemic on this event, the President of the Association expressed his satisfaction with the number of visitors this year. Before the pandemic, there were about 4,000 to 5,000 visitors.
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
However, the head of the Central Council of Muslims in Germany, Ayman Mazik, said in a statement to the German News Agency (DPA) that the number of participating communities – as well as the number of visitors – has decreased somewhat over the past years. He pointed out that this is not only related to the circumstances of the outbreak of the new Corona virus, but is due to the presence of security concerns among some communities.
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
On this day, Islamic communities want to bring visitors closer to Islam, and they have chosen mosques as the best place to meet. Mosques are not only a place for prayer, but meetings and seminars are also held there.
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
Most mosques offer tours on this day, and the picture shows one of those tours in a mosque in the town of Hort in Cologne, where visitors receive information about architecture, history and daily life in mosques, which are the most important meeting places for Islamic communities in Germany.
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
Among the mosques participating in this event is the Central Mosque in Duisburg. It is one of the largest mosques in Germany, and it was opened in 2008. The mosque participates in activities that support integration in the city. On the open day of the mosque, the mosque allows its visitors, in addition to the tour, to witness the noon and afternoon prayers, in addition to offering them tea.
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
Visitors get to know Islam more, starting from following some simple rules followed in mosques, where they take off their shoes before entering the place of prayer, and they also watch how Muslims perform ablution. The Central Mosque in Cologne explains some of the rituals and rules to visitors on the Open Mosque Day.
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
The Blue Mosque in Hamburg, which takes its name from the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, is not located on the Bosphorus, but on the Alster River! It is the fourth largest mosque in Germany. In 2016, on the Day of the Open Mosque, the artist Hassan Rouh al-Alamin painted the “Karbala massacre”, which is of great importance in the Shiite sect.
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
The doors of the mosques are not opened only on the day of the open mosque, but there is an opportunity to exchange visits on the day of the Catholics as well, as in the Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque in Mannheim, where the nuns and religious students from the Church of the Virgin Mary opposite the mosque took a tour in which they got to know Islam more closely.
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
The open day of the mosque allows visitors to watch the worshipers when performing the prayer, even for once. Although visitors cannot enter the place of prayer, they can follow the prayer from places overlooking it, as shown in the picture.
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
Hamburg’s Fazl Omar Mosque, which opened in 1957, has something for everyone on its Open Mosque Day, where painting and calligraphy workshops are held, as well as an exhibition where a “journey through Islamic time” can be taken. It also provides child care and refreshing drinks for cyclists during their break.
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
Also in Dresden, mosques invite people to learn about Islam and to exchange culture. Al-Mustafa Mosque in Medina has launched a program in which visitors are offered coffee, in addition to explanatory lectures on Islam.
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
After the tour of the mosque’s open day, visitors can enjoy meals from all over the world. The Şehitlik Mosque (Mosque of Shahada) in the Neukölln district of Berlin has offered a wide variety of dishes to its visitors over the past years.
Open Mosque Day in Germany… The number of visitors has decreased, and the reason is not only Corona!
In addition to the various events and activities that take place on this day, visitors may sometimes receive some symbolic and souvenir gifts on the Open Mosque Day, on such a rosary. It is noteworthy that about 5.5 million Muslims live in Germany. Most of them live largely in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in which Cologne is located.
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2023-07-15 20:17:14
