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Rasmus Paludan, Swedish-Danish anti-Islam politician, while burning a copy of the Koran. Stockholm court allows demonstration by burning Al-Quran. Photo/REUTERS
STOCKHOLM – Court in Sweden in its ruling, has overturned the police ban on demonstrations with burning copies of the Qur’an . The decision prompted the police to appeal.
A ruling by the Stockholm Administrative Court last Tuesday overturned a police decision to stop two demonstrations where protesters had planned to burn copies of the Koran. The court’s reasoning was that such demonstrations were protected by the country’s constitution.
“Police authorities believe that the principles of this matter are important and therefore urgently need to be examined by a higher court,” the police said in a statement regarding the appeal, as quoted by Anadolu Agency, Friday (7/4/2023).
In February, Stockholm police refused to grant permission for two Koran burning attempts after Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan burned copies of the Koran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm in January with police protection and permission from Swedish authorities. .
Police referred to security concerns for its decision to ban the two demonstrations.
However, the Stockholm Administrative Court overturned the police decision saying the stated security risks were not sufficient to limit the ability to demonstrate.
The court’s decision was sharply criticized by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. He compared the ruling to Nazi Germany’s past, as it conjures strong images of book burnings and concentration camps.
Turkey, which has renamed itself Turkiye, sees the court ruling as another hurdle in Sweden’s bid to become a new NATO member.
“The Nazis started by burning books, then they attacked places of worship, and then they gathered people in camps and burned them to achieve their final goal. That’s how it started,” said Cavusoglu.
