Sweden: The Swedish government has denounced the recent burning of a Quran outside the main mosque in Stockholm, describing it as an “Islamophobic” act. The condemnation came in response to a call for action by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a Saudi-based international body representing 57 member states, aimed at preventing future desecration of the Muslim holy book.
In a statement released by the foreign ministry on 2nd July 2023, the Swedish government expressed its understanding of the offensive nature of the Islamophobic acts committed by individuals during demonstrations in Sweden. The government strongly condemned these acts, emphasizing that they do not reflect its own views.
The incident that prompted the condemnation occurred on 28th July 2023 when Mr. Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi citizen living in Sweden, stomped on the Quran and set several pages ablaze. The OIC held an extraordinary meeting at its headquarters in Jeddah to address the incident and called on member states to collectively take measures to prevent similar desecrations in the future.
“The burning of the Quran, or any other holy text, is an offensive and disrespectful act and a clear provocation. Expressions of racism, xenophobia and related intolerance have no place in Sweden or in Europe,” stated the Swedish foreign ministry.
However, the ministry also emphasized that Sweden upholds the constitutionally protected rights to freedom of assembly, expression, and demonstration. It acknowledged that while the Quran burning incident was deeply regrettable, it was carried out under the umbrella of free speech protections granted by the Swedish police.
Several countries, including Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, and Morocco, have summoned Swedish ambassadors to register their protest against the Quran-burning incident. The Swedish authorities initially granted Salwan Momika a permit based on the country’s commitment to free speech, but later opened an investigation on charges of “agitation against an ethnic group.” They took into account the fact that the burning took place in close proximity to the mosque.
The incident has ignited a debate on the balance between freedom of expression and the prevention of hate speech and religious provocation. The Swedish government’s condemnation reflects its commitment to combating Islamophobia and upholding the rights of religious minorities in the country.
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