Swedish Police Blocks Quran Burning Citing Security Concerns
The desecration of the Quran was set to be staged on Thursday. “The decision is justified on the grounds that the protest could lead to an increased terrorist threat to Sweden,” SVT Nyheter reported.
“Overall, the Security Service believes that Quran burning in itself has increased, and may increase in the future, the threat of attacks against Sweden and Swedish interests in the short term,” the police decision, which was taken in consultation with the Swedish Security Service known as Säpo, says.
The report comes as observers believe the repeated acts of Quran desecration can damage Sweden’s bid to join NATO.
A leader of Stram Kurs political party from Denmark, Rasmus Paludan, burned the Muslim holy book in Stockholm, Sweden, on January 21. The Quran burning was initiated when Paludan demonstrated before the Turkish Embassy HQ in Sweden regarding the NATO membership of the Nordic country.
Sweden and neighboring Finland are seeking to join the military alliance amid the war in Ukraine, in a historic departure from their non-aligned policies.
However, their accession would require approval from all NATO members, and Turkey has indicated it will block Sweden’s bid – in part due to Paludan’s initial stunt.
Even before that, Ankara was pressing the two countries to crack down on Kurdish armed groups, activists and other groups it considers “terrorists”.
Meanwhile, the insult to the Quran has been widely condemned by Muslim countries across the world who have also urged the Swedish government to prevent similar incidents.
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