Sweden-Turkey rift escalates as ‘Quran burning’ draws global denunciation

Islamabad: A wave of fury and denunciation has swept the Islamic world after one of the far-right members in Sweden burned a copy of the Holy Quran, in a racially-motivated malevolence, which is hostile to the religion of peace and harmony.  

In Islam, the burning of holy texts, including the Quran, is a deeply troubling act that goes against the values of tolerance and respect. Following the heinous incident, many are calling to discard bigotry in all its forms.  

What is happening? 

On January 21, a copy of the Holy Quran was burnt in Sweden under the label of “freedom of expression” during demonstrations against Turkey outside Turkish Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden. 

Reportedly, three different protests were happening in the city. One was against Turkey, the second was in support of Kurds, and the third was against Sweden’s bid to join North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). 

All three protests had permission from the Sweden police.

The demonstration was led by far-right racist politician Rasmus Paludan, who delivered an hour-long speech against Islam and immigration before burning a copy of the Holy Book.  

Muslim world has erupted in anger and alarm after Sweden allowed to burn a copy of the sacred book.   

It comes amid growing diplomatic tension between the two countries, particularly in light of Sweden’s bid to join NATO. 

Who is Rasmus Paludan? 

Rasmus Paludan—who has Swedish citizenship— first came to public attention in 2017 when he started making anti-Muslim videos on YouTube. Notably, he has burnt copies in the past as well.  

“The enemy is Islam and Muslims. The best thing would be if there were not a single Muslim left on this Earth, then we would have reached our final goal,” he said in a December 2018 video. 

He justified his stunts in Denmark – such as burning religious book, sometimes wrapped in bacon – as a tribute to free speech. 

Paludan was sentenced to 14 days in jail in 2019 for racist speech in Denmark. 

In 2020, he faced one month of imprisonment with two additional months of a suspended sentence after being found guilty of 14 different charges of racism, defamation and hazardous driving. 

International condemnation

Pakistan

"This senseless and provocative Islamophobic act hurts the religious sensitivities of over 1.5 billion Muslims around the world," said a statement from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.

Such actions are "not covered under any legitimate expression of the right to freedom of expression or opinion, which carries responsibilities under international human rights law, such as the obligation not to carry out hate speech and incite people to violence."

"Pakistan’s concerns are being conveyed to the authorities in Sweden. We urge them to be mindful of the sentiments of the people of Pakistan and the Muslims worldwide and take steps to prevent Islamophobic acts," the statement added.

Türkiye 

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the vile attack on our holy book, the Quran, in Sweden today (21 January), despite our repeated warnings earlier," a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said.

Calling the act "an outright hate crime," the ministry said: "Permitting this anti-Islam act, which targets Muslims and insults our sacred values, under the guise of freedom of expression is completely unacceptable."

"This despicable act is yet another example of the alarming level that Islamophobia and, racist and discriminatory movements have reached in Europe".

Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement said: "Saudi Arabia calls for spreading the values of dialogue, tolerance, and coexistence, and rejects hatred and extremism". 

Qatar

Qatar condemned the Swedish authorities' permission to burn the Holy Quran and call on the international community to shoulder its responsibilities to reject hatred and violence.

Kuwait

The incident "hurts Muslims' sentiments across the world and marks serious provocation," Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdullah Al Jaber Al Sabah said in statements. 

He called on the international community "to shoulder responsibility by stopping such unacceptable acts and denouncing all forms of hatred and extremism and brining the perpetrators to accountability."

UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it was against "all practices aimed at destabilising security and stability in contravention of human and moral values and principles".

Iran

Calling it an attempt to stoke hatred and violence against Muslims, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said some European countries under the false pretext of advocating freedom of speech "allow extremist and radical elements to spread hatred against Islamic sanctities and values".

He added that the desecration of the Quran is a "clear example of spreading hatred and fueling violence against Muslims", which has "nothing to do with freedom of speech and thought". 

Jordan

Jordan "condemned the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran in the Swedish capital Stockholm, stressing the Kingdom's rejection of this act that fuels hatred."

It emphasised the necessity to spread the culture of peace and acceptance of the other and "condemning extremism is a collective responsibility."

Egypt

Egypt expressed its strong condemnation of the disgraceful act that provokes the feelings of hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world.

The country also warned of the dangers of the spread of such acts that offend religions and fuel hate speech and violence, calling for ‘upholding the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence’ and preventing offense to all religions and their sanctities through such extremist practices that contradict the values of respect for religion.