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QURAN BURNINGS

‘Risks have increased’: Sweden ups terrorism readiness after Quran protests

Sweden's government on Thursday ordered 15 government agencies to strengthen the country's ability to prevent terrorism, in response to the protests involving desecration of the Quran, with the Swedish PM saying he was "extremely worried".

Published: 27 July 2023 22:39 CEST
'Risks have increased': Sweden ups terrorism readiness after Quran protests
Supporters of the former paramilitary group Hashd al-Shaabi burn a Swedish flag during a protest in Baghdad's Tahrir square. Tensions flared between Iraq and Sweden over a Stockholm protest in which a man stomped on the Quran. (Photo by Ahmad AL-RUBAYE / AFP)

Tensions have flared between Sweden and several Middle Eastern nations after an Iraqi refugee staged two protests in which he desecrated the Quran.

“Recent destructive events — in particular various demonstrative burnings — have increased the risks for Sweden,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in a statement posted to Instagram.

“We have, according to the Swedish Security Service, gone from being what is called a legitimate target for terror attacks, to being a prioritised target,” he continued, noting that the situation was “very serious.”

Kristersson later told the Swedish news agency TT that new requests had been filed with Swedish police for permission to hold further protests with the desecration of the Quran again planned.

“If they are granted, we are going to face some days where there is a clear risk of something serious happening,” he said. “I am extremely worried about what it could lead to.”

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As a result, 15 government agencies — including Sweden’s armed forces, several law enforcement agencies and the Swedish tax agency — had been tasked with “intensifying their work” under the leadership of the security service.

Speaking at a press conference, Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said the work would seek to strengthen Sweden’s “ability to prevent, deter and impede terrorism and violent extremism.”

The announcement comes a day after Sweden’s government said the country had become the target of disinformation campaigns.

In late June, Salwan Momika, 37, set pages of the Muslim holy text alight outside Stockholm’s main mosque.

Last week he staged a similar protest outside Iraq’s embassy, stomping on the Quran but leaving before burning it.

Advance news of the planned Stockholm protest had prompted hundreds of Iraqis to mass at Sweden’s Baghdad embassy the night before — as they did in response to June’s Quran burning — before scaling the walls and torching buildings.

Sweden’s government has condemned the desecrations, while stressing the country’s constitutionally protected freedoms of speech and assembly.

The two events also followed a January protest where Swedish-Danish right-wing activist Rasmus Paludan burned a Quran to denounce Sweden’s membership application to NATO and the negotiations with Turkey to allow Sweden to join the alliance.

Abandoning centuries of military non-alignment, Sweden decided to apply for NATO membership in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but its membership is still awaiting ratification by Hungary and Turkey — which has condemned the burnings.

Recent events have raised diplomatic tensions throughout the Middle East, with Swedish envoys summoned in Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

Sweden’s ambassador has been expelled from Iraq, while Iran said it would not allow a new Swedish ambassador into the country.

Member comments

  1. This is not a good look for the Islamic world. I would ask that the leaders of these countries at the very least come out to pre-emptively condemn and seek to prevent any terrorist attacks. That’s only going to escalate rhetoric coming from Rasmus, his ilk, and the Sweden Democrats

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QURAN BURNINGS

Three ways Sweden could make it easier to stop Quran burnings

A new report recommends amending Sweden's Public Order Act to allow the police to prevent Quran burnings in the interest of national security.

Published: 5 July 2024 12:42 CEST
Three ways Sweden could make it easier to stop Quran burnings

The inquiry commission mandated by the Swedish government to look into whether applications for demonstrations with planned Quran burnings could be rejected on the grounds that they present a threat to national security presented its recommendations on July 5th.

The commission announced that Sweden’s Public Order Act could be amended to allow the police to prevent Quran burnings, citing national security concerns.

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The government set up the commission in response to violent protests in Muslim countries triggered by Quran burnings in Sweden in recent years.

These events included the storming of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad in July 2023 and an increased terrorist threat against Sweden, prompting the authorities to investigate how the police could consider national security when deciding on permits for public gatherings, including demonstrations.

Commission recommendations

The investigation, led by Mattias Larsson, the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå) head, concluded that the laws could be adjusted to allow the police to factor in Sweden’s security without violating constitutional or European laws.

Its report (which you can read in full here) presented three potential approaches.

The first approach would allow the police to impose conditions on the time or place of the gathering or outright refuse permits if the event is likely to pose a significant threat to national security, such as acts of terrorism or crimes threatening Swedish interests abroad.

The second suggested that the police could set conditions other than timing or location to safeguard national security, such as banning specific acts during the demonstration, like burning books.

The third approach proposed amending the rules to give the police more power to set conditions for the time and place of the gathering without introducing new security considerations.

All three options aim to increase the ability to cancel a public gathering if necessary to protect life and health during the event. 

These legal changes are intended to take effect on July 1st, 2025, after a period of consultation.

The broader context

The move comes after Denmark passed legislation in December 2023 criminalising the “inappropriate treatment” of religious texts, effectively banning Quran burnings.

Despite this, Sweden’s Justice Minister, Gunnar Strömmer, has previously argued against following Denmark’s approach, emphasising the importance of free speech and existing laws against hate speech.

Strömmer’s stance reflects the Swedish government’s belief that a flat-out ban is unnecessary.

Instead, the focus has been on reviewing the Public Order Act to ensure that national security considerations can be integrated into decisions about demonstration permits.

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