The Swedish Prime Minister lamented on Sunday a “deeply disrespectful act” the day after the burning of a Koran during a demonstration in Stockholm, expressing his “sympathyto believers after several protests in the Muslim world.
“Freedom of expression is a fundamental part of democracy. But what is legal is not necessarily appropriatesaid Tory leader Ulf Kristersson on Twitter in a post overnight. “Burning books that are holy to many is a deeply disrespectful act. I want to express my sympathy to all Muslims who were offended by what happened in StockholmSaturday, said the head of government.
On Saturday afternoon, as part of a demonstration authorized by the Swedish police near the Turkish embassy, the Swedish-Danish right-wing extremist Rasmus Paludan burned a copy of the Koran, in an act aimed at denouncing the Swedish negotiations with Ankara on NATO.
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Strong reactions from Muslim countries
The authorization given to the anti-Islam demonstration sparked a diplomatic incident with Turkey, which denounced a “manifest hate crimeand canceled the visit of a Swedish minister scheduled for next week, further complicating discussions around Swedish membership of NATO, blocked by Ankara. Many other Muslim countries have expressed outrage.
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Morocco expressed on Sunday its astonishment that the Swedish authorities allowed this act “unacceptable” and “odious», «which took place in front of Swedish law enforcement“. Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates also expressed their condemnation, as did the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). “Freedom of expression must be exercised responsiblyasked Jakarta.
In Turkey, several dozen people gathered late Saturday afternoon in front of the Swedish consulate in Istanbul in protest. They burned a Swedish flag and called on Ankara to sever all diplomatic ties with Stockholm. Others demonstrated near the Swedish Embassy in Ankara.
On Saturday, the head of Swedish diplomacy Tobias Billström had already condemned “an appalling Islamophobic provocationand stressed that allowing the protest did not mean it was endorsed by the executive.
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