Facts about Quran Burning in Sweden, Triggers Anger in Muslim World
- stockholmcf.org
VoxPop – Recently, an act of Quran burning occurred during an anti-Turkish protest in Stockholm, Sweden, on Saturday, January 21, 2023. An activist named Rasmus Paludan burned a copy of the Quran near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm City.
It is known that Paludan is the leader of Denmark's right-wing Stram Kurs (Hardline) party. In the permit he obtained from the police, Paludan made the protest against Islam to criticize NATO, Turkey, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for affecting freedom of expression in Sweden.
The act of Quran burning also sparked reactions from various parties. Here are some facts about this tragic accident in Sweden.
1. United Nations curses Quran burning in Sweden
A high representative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations condemned the burning of the Muslim holy book by Swedish-Danish right-wing politicians as a "heinous act".
Rasmus Paludan, leader of Denmark's hardline right-wing political party, staged the action outside the Turkish embassy in Sweden under local police protection.
"While the High Representative emphasized the importance of upholding freedom of expression as a human right, she also stressed that the act of burning the Quran is an expression of hatred towards Muslims," UN spokesman Miguel Angel Moratinos said in a statement as quoted from the Aljazeera.
"It is disrespectful and insulting to adherents of Islam and should not be conflated with freedom of expression," the statement added.
Moratinos, who heads a UN agency that describes itself as "devoted to promoting understanding across diverse communities", said he was concerned about the rise of "discrimination, intolerance, and violence directed against members of many other religions and communities in various parts of the world." He called for the building of "mutual respect" among Muslim.
He called for the building of "mutual respect" and the promotion of "inclusive and peaceful societies rooted in human rights and dignity for all".
