2023 Quran burnings in Sweden explained

In 2023, instances of Quran-burning occurred in Sweden, which were named collectively by Swedish media as the Korankrisen ("Quran crisis"; "Quran burning crisis" in some English-language media). The most notable of them occurred on 28 June 2023, when a 37-year-old Iraqi Assyrian refugee Salwan Momika ripped out and set fire to pages of the Quran outside the Stockholm Mosque.[1] This incident caused international protests and condemnation, particularly among the Muslim world. On 20 July, Momika planned another Quran burning in Stockholm, which resulted in protestors storming the Swedish embassy in Baghdad and committing arson.[2]

This resulted in several follow-up protests in Denmark, in which the Quran was burned outside the embassies of several Muslim-majority countries. Counterprotests, in the form of violence and boycotts, eventually caused Denmark to reintroduce blasphemy laws criminalizing the "inappropriate treatment" of religious texts.

Incidents

In January 2023, the Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan burned a copy of the Quran outside of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, leading the Turkish defence minister Hulusi Akar to suspend talks with Sweden over its NATO membership.[3] Separate pro-Kurdish and anti-NATO demonstrations were also held outside the embassy.[4]

Salwan Momika is a 37-year-old Aramean man who moved to Sweden in 2018 having fled Iraq as a refugee. He identifies as an atheist and has called for a ban on the Quran in Sweden.[5] On 28 June, he appeared behind a line of police officers outside the Stockholm Mosque, holding two Swedish flags while the Du gamla, du fria, the de facto national anthem of Sweden, played over loudspeakers. He tore apart the Quran and set it on fire, while also placing a strip of bacon on it. One protester attempted to throw something at him and was arrested. The event occurred during Eid al-Adha, a major holiday in Islam.[6]

Following the incident, Stockholm police said that they had received further requests for Quran-burning permits, as well as requests to burn the Torah and Bible outside the Israeli embassy, but these were later called off.[7]

Several follow-up protests occurred in Denmark in the following weeks. On 24 July, a Quran was burned outside the Iraqi embassy by Danish far-right activists.[8] [9] On 25 July, protesters burned a Quran outside the Egyptian embassy in Copenhagen,[10] and on the same day, a Quran was burned outside the Turkish embassy.[10] On 31 July a total of seven Quran-burnings were planned in Denmark.[11]

On 3 September 2023, a riot broke out and protesters threw stones at police after Momika had lit a copy of the Quran in the presence of 200 onlookers.[12] [13]

Protests and violence

The Swedish Institute noted increasingly negative rhetoric from Muslims towards Sweden and the Swedish government and police, as well as calls for boycotts on social media and from political and religious leaders in the Muslim world. [14] A poll conducted by Swedish pollster Novus in collaboration with an Iraqi polling institute showed that 77% of polled Iraqis viewed Sweden as anti-Islam.[15]

Two protests took place outside the Karachi Press Club on 2 July 2023, condemning the burning.[16] In Islamabad, Pakistan, police officers prevented supporters of the religious group Jamaat-e-Islami from marching towards the Swedish Embassy during a rally.[17]

The Pakistan-based Sunni extremist organisation Lashkar-e-Jhangvi called for a genocide against Pakistani Christians to avenge Sweden's quran burning in a statement on 1 July.[18]

On 29 June, protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad after the Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called Sweden "hostile to Islam".[19] The protesters briefly entered the building.[20] On 19 July, after another planned Quran-burning, the embassy was stormed and set aflame by protesters, while Iraq expelled the Swedish ambassador, severed diplomatic ties with Sweden and banned Swedish businesses in Iraq.[21] [22] [23] The United States criticised the Iraqi security forces for not preventing protesters from storming the embassy grounds.[24]

In response to the burnings, the Iranian militia Ashab al-Kahf, which is also active in Baghdad, issued threats on Telegram urging followers to target "every Swede" with violence.[25]

On the evening of October 16, 2023, an Islamic State sympathiser killed two Swedish nationals attending a football match at Place Sainctelette in Molenbeek, Brussels, and injured another.[26] [27] Belgian authorities said that a motive for the killing was that the victims were Swedish,[28] and that the crime was potentially carried out as revenge for the Quran burnings in Sweden.[29] The victims were wearing Sweden men's national football team shirts when they were shot.[30] In a video released following the attack, the perpetrator claimed to have been directly targeting Swedes.[31]

Reactions

Government reactions

International organisations

On 2 July, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation said that international law and other collective measures were needed to prevent future incidents involving the desecration of the Quran.[63]

On 12 July, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a motion "countering religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence" in response to the Quran-burning incident.[64] [65] As with all of the council's decisions, this is not legally binding.

!Yes - 28!No - 12!Abstention - 7
Algeria Belgium Benin
Argentina Costa Rica Chile
Bangladesh Czech Republic Georgia
Finland Honduras
Cameroon France Mexico
China Germany Nepal
Cuba Lithuania Paraguay
Eritrea Luxembourg
Gabon Montenegro
Gambia Romania
India United Kingdom
United States
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Morocco
Pakistan
Qatar
Senegal
Somalia
South Africa
Sudan
Ukraine
Uzbekistan

Swedish authorities

In February 2023, the Swedish Police Authority refused permission for "an association and a private person" to burn the Quran outside the Turkish and Iraqi embassies in Stockholm. In June 2023, this refusal was overturned by the Court Appeal in Stockholm. A judge found that the police's fear of security problems was not obvious enough to override the constitutional right of those who planned to burn the Quran to hold what they claimed to be a political demonstration.[66] There is no longer a law against blasphemy in Sweden or Denmark.[67]

On 12 July, the Supreme Administrative Court of Sweden announced that they would hear a case related to a denial of a protest permit from April.[68] On 6 November, the Supreme Administrative Court announced its final judgement affirming a Court of Appeal decision to overturn the denial of the protest permit. The Supreme Administrative Court noted that restrictions on the constitutionally protected freedoms of assembly and demonstration may only be made by law and for certain specifically stated purposes, and that provisions on the limitation of such rights should be interpreted restrictively.[69]

Danish authorities

The Danish Security and Intelligence Service warned that the series of Quran burnings increased the terrorist threat. In response, Denmark's parliament passed a bill banning the "inappropriate treatment" of religious texts, including the Quran, the Bible, or the Torah, on 7 December 2023.[70] The law applies to both public and private settings if the act is recorded and distributed. Offenders could face a fine or up to two years in jail. Critics, including opposition MPs from the Liberal Alliance and others, argued against the bill, expressing concerns about freedom of speech restrictions. However, the Danish justice minister Peter Hummelgaard said that criticizing religion and religious satire would remain legal.[71] Some suggested the government's motive was related to securing a seat on the UN Security Council. Two opposition parties, the Danish People's Party and the New Right, called for a referendum on the matter.[72]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2023-07-31 . Iraqi refugees set fire to Quran at Swedish Parliament in Stockholm . 2024-06-12 . euronews . en.
  2. Web site: July 20, 2023 . Iraq boots out Swedish ambassador after Qur'an desecrated in Stockholm . March 8, 2023 . CBC.
  3. News: Hajjaji . Danya . Turkey condemns burning of Qur'an during far-right protest in Sweden . 25 July 2023 . The Guardian . 21 January 2023.
  4. News: Quran-burning in Sweden exacerbates tensions with Turkey over NATO bid . 25 July 2023 . Politico . 22 January 2023.
  5. Web site: From militia leader to refugee: The backstory of the man who burned a Koran in Sweden . 10 July 2023 .
  6. News: Rubin . Alissa J. . Kwai . Isabella . Sweden Is Condemned in the Muslim World for Allowing Burning of Quran . The New York Times . 29 June 2023.
  7. News: ToI Staff . Activist backs off Sweden Torah burning: Trying to draw attention to Quran desecration . 25 July 2023 . . 15 July 2023.
  8. News: 2023-07-30 . Denmark considers banning protests burning Quran and other religious texts . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-08-03.
  9. Web site: Saudi Arabia summons Denmark's charge d'affaires over Quran burnings . 2023-08-03 . www.aljazeera.com . en.
  10. Web site: 2023-07-25 . Far-right group burns Quran in Copenhagen . 2023-08-03 . POLITICO . en.
  11. News: Sverige og Danmark vurderer tiltak mot koranbrenning. Aftenposten. 31 July 2023. no.
  12. Web site: Violent riot breaks out in Sweden at Koran burning protest . 2023-09-04 . Le Monde.
  13. Web site: 'Violent riot' lasts through the night in Sweden after Koran burning . sky.com . 2023-09-04.
  14. Web site: 2023-10-26 . Omvärldens reaktioner på koranbränningar i Sverige sommaren 2023 . 2023-11-09 . . sv-SE.
  15. News: Dahlberg . Joel . 2023-10-15 . Antisvensk uppfattning sprids: "Hade bra rykte" . sv . . 2023-11-09 . 1101-2412.
  16. Web site: Protests held against desecration of Holy Quran in Sweden . 3 July 2023 .
  17. Web site: CORRECTION Pakistan Sweden Quran Protest . 3 July 2023 .
  18. Web site: AsiaNews.it . Quema del Corán en Suecia: fundamentalistas de Islamabad amenazan a los cristianos . 2024-04-20 . www.asianews.it . es.
  19. News: Outcry over Quran burning in Sweden: A timeline . 25 July 2023 . . 20 July 2023 .
  20. News: Sweden Quran burning: Protesters storm embassy in Baghdad. BBC. 29 June 2023.
  21. News: Rasheed . Ahmed . Azhari . Timour . Ringstrom . Anna . 2023-07-20 . Iraq expels Swedish ambassador over planned Koran burning . Reuters . 2023-07-20.
  22. Web site: Känsligt läge för Sverige och svenska företag. 21 July 2023. Tidningen Näringslivet.
  23. News: Muslimska länder bojkottar svenska varor. Joakim . Goksör . Helena. Nordenberg. Svenska Dagbladet . 21 July 2023. www.svd.se . sv . Muslim countries boycott Swedish goods . subscription.
  24. News: US condemns attack in Swedish Embassy in Baghdad, criticizes Iraq security . 25 July 2023 . Reuters . 20 July 2023.
  25. Web site: Militärgrupp uppmanar till våld: "Sök efter varje svensk". Militant group calls for violence: "Search for every Swede". www.tv4.se. 21 July 2023 .
  26. Web site: 2023-10-16 . Skuddrab på svenskere i Bruxelles efterforskes som terror . 2023-10-16 . Jyllands-Posten . da.
  27. News: 2023-10-16 . Brussels shooting: Suspect at large after two Swedes killed in terror attack . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-10-16.
  28. Web site: 2023-10-16 . To svenskere dræbt inden landskamp i Belgien - TV 2 . 2023-10-16 . nyheder.tv2.dk . da-DK.
  29. Web site: Deux supporters suédois tués à Bruxelles : voici l'auteur présumé, il se revendique membre de l'État islamique. La Libre Belgiqie. 16 October 2023.
  30. Web site: Brussels 'on highest terror alert' and football fans told to stay in stadium after two shot dead . 2023-10-16 . Sky News . en.
  31. News: Blenkinsop . Philip . 2023-10-17 . Two Swedes shot dead in Brussels; Belgium raises terror alert to top level . . 2023-10-18 . Islamic greeting Allahu Akbar. My name is Abdesalem Al Guilani and I am a fighter for Allah. I am from the Islamic State. We love who loves us and we hate who hates us. We live for our religion and we die for our religion. Alhamdulah. Your brother took revenge in the name of Muslims. I have killed 3 Swedes so far Al hamdoulelah. 3 Swedish, yes. Those to whom I have done something wrong, may they forgive me. And I forgive everyone. Salam Aleykoum..
  32. News: Sweden government condemns 'Islamophobic' Quran burning . 25 July 2023 . . 2 July 2023.
  33. News: Quran burnings have Sweden torn between free speech and respecting minorities . 25 July 2023 . . 5 July 2023 .
  34. News: Russia 'using disinformation' to imply Sweden supported Qur'an burnings . 27 July 2023 . . 26 July 2023.
  35. Web site: 2023-07-21 . Why Does Sweden Allow Quran Burnings? It Has No Blasphemy Laws . 2023-08-03 . VOA . en.
  36. News: Statement by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. 30 July 2023. Government Offices of Sweden.
  37. News: Denmark to seek legal means to prevent Quran burnings. Al Jazeera. 30 July 2023.
  38. News: Birkebaek . Johannes . 2023-08-04 . Denmark tightens border control after Koran burnings . en . Reuters . 2023-08-05.
  39. Web site: 2023-07-11 . Taliban Suspend Swedish Activities in Afghanistan Over Quran . 2023-07-15 . VOA News.
  40. Web site: جانشین فرمانده کل سپاه: تنبیه فرد و دولت هتاک به قرآن، تکلیف ماست- اخبار مرکزی - اخبار استانها تسنیم | Tasnim. خبرگزاری تسنیم | Tasnim . persian . Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC: It is our duty to punish the individual and the government who violate the Quran.
  41. Web site: پیام رهبر انقلاب در پی جسارت به ساحت قرآن مجید در سوئد.
  42. News: Iran's Khamenei says Sweden in 'battle-array' over Koran desecrations. Reuters. 22 July 2023.
  43. Web site: ۱۹ تير ۱۴۰۲ - ۱۸:۲۸ . بیانیه وزارت اطلاعات درباره عنصر هتاک به قرآن مجید/ کشف ارتباط این هتاک با موساد- اخبار نظامی | دفاعی | امنیتی - اخبار سیاسی تسنیم | Tasnim . Tasnimnews.com . 2023-07-10 . 2023-07-18.
  44. Web site: 2023-07-28 . Sweden leader says "clear risk" of retaliatory terror attacks as Iran issues threats over Quran desecration - CBS News . 2023-07-29 . www.cbsnews.com . en-US.
  45. Web site: 2023-02-02 . خبرگزاری فارس - فرمانده کل سپاه پاسداران: هتاکان به قرآن از امروز مخفیانه زندگی کنند . 2023-07-29 . خبرگزاری فارس.
  46. Web site: "دروازه قرآن" در تهران ساخته می‌شود/ پلاک‌گذاری ون‌ها در گرو پرداخت بدهی . 2023-08-03 . www.irna.ir.
  47. Web site: Skulle bränna koranen utanför Iraks ambassad – misslyckades. www.tv4.se.
  48. Web site: Koranaktion i Stockholm – trots stora protester. Omni. 20 July 2023 .
  49. News: Muslim nations demand action after 'Islamophobic' Quran burning . 25 July 2023 . . 11 July 2023.
  50. Web site: 29 June 2023. Countries condemn desecration of Quran in Sweden . Al Jazeera.
  51. News: Henley . Jon . Turkish fury as Sweden allows Qur'an burning risks further delays to Nato bid . 25 July 2023 . The Guardian . 28 June 2023.
  52. Web site: Turkiet begär Paludan arresterad – vill gripa flera koranbrännare. 21 July 2023. DN.SE.
  53. Web site: Ramadhan . Azhar Bagas . Kemlu Kutuk Pembakaran Al-Qur'an, Desak Swedia Patuhi Resolusi Dewan HAM PBB . 2023-08-02 . detiknews . id-ID.
  54. Web site: Rahim . Annisa Aulia . Kemlu RI Panggil Dubes Swedia dan Denmark Buntut Aksi Pembakaran Al-Qur'an . 2023-08-02 . detiknews . id-ID.
  55. Web site: 2023-01-25 . Egypt's Al-Azhar calls for boycott over Quran burning . 2023-08-07 . Arab News . en.
  56. Web site: Egypt condemns burning of Quran copy in Sweden as 'disgraceful act' - Foreign Affairs - Egypt . 2023-08-07 . Ahram Online.
  57. Web site: 2023-07-28 . Arab World's Outcry in the Aftermath of Prolific Quran Burnings in Europe . 2023-08-07 . . en-US.
  58. Web site: 2023-07-11 . Kuwait förbjuder varor från länder med koranbränningar . 2023-11-07 . www.aftonbladet.se . sv.
  59. Web site: Kadyrov . Ramzan . 17 August 2023 . Kadyrov_95 . 2024-04-20 . Telegram.
  60. News: Pope Francis condemns burning of Koran, United Arab Emirates newspaper reports . 25 July 2023 . Reuters . 3 July 2023.
  61. 1679802844168220673. Isaac_Herzog. I unequivocally condemn the permission granted in Sweden to burn holy books. As the President of Israel, I condemned the burning of the Quran, sacred to Muslims world over, and I am now heartbroken that the same fate awaits a Jewish Bible, the eternal book of the Jewish people.. July 14, 2023. July 27, 2023.
  62. 1679802846223507458. Isaac_Herzog. Permitting the defacement of sacred texts is not an exercise in freedom of expression, it is blatant incitement and an act of pure hate. The whole world must join together in condemning unequivocally this repulsive act.. July 14, 2023. July 27, 2023.
  63. News: Swedish government condemns 'Islamophobic' burning of Qur'an . 25 July 2023 . The Guardian . Agence France-Presse . 2 July 2023.
  64. Web site: UN motion on Quran burning: How did your country vote? . 2023-07-25 . www.aljazeera.com.
  65. News: Henley . Jon . UN rights council approves resolution on religious hatred after Qur'an burning . The Guardian . 12 July 2023.
  66. Web site: Dom i de så kallade koranmålen. Judgments in the so-called Quran cases. 12 June 2023. Sveriges Domstolar. Swedish National Courts Administration.
  67. News: Edwards . Christian . Sweden and Denmark consider ban on Quran-burning protests as security fears rise . 9 August 2023 . CNN . 2 August 2023.
  68. Web site: Prövningstillstånd har meddelats i mål om inställande av demonstration. 12 July 2023. Högsta förvaltningsdomstolen.
  69. Web site: förvaltningsdomstolen . Högsta . 2023-11-06 . Beslut i mål om inställande av allmän sammankomst enligt ordningslagen . 2023-12-07 . Högsta förvaltningsdomstolen . sv.
  70. News: Denmark passes law to ban Quran burnings . . 7 December 2023.
  71. News: Tekeli . Maya . Bubola . Emma . Denmark, Fearing Reprisals, Bans Quran Burning . . 7 December 2023.
  72. News: Bryant . Miranda . Danish MPs vote to ban desecration of religious texts after Qur'an burnings . . 7 December 2023.