A demonstration by right-wing extremists who set fire to the Koran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm last weekend sparked outrage in the Islamic world and further heightened tensions between Sweden and Turkey. A flag of the Scandinavian country has been burned in front of the Swedish consulate in Istanbul.
The far-right demonstration at the Turkish embassy took place on Saturday under heavy police protection. About a hundred people attended – including numerous media representatives. Far-right provocateur Rasmus Paludan ran an almost hour-long diatribe against Islam and migrants, then set fire to a copy of the Koran with a lighter. “If you are against freedom of expression, you should live somewhere else,” said the Danish politician.
Ankara: “Attack on sacred values”
The approval by the Swedish authorities has already caused problems in Turkey, among others. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin wrote on Twitter that allowing the demonstration despite “all our warnings” is equivalent to “encouragement of hate crimes and Islamophobia”. The “attack on sacred values” is “not freedom, but modern barbarism”.
But after the public burning of the Koran, a storm of indignation swept through several Muslim countries. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the “provocative action” that violated the “sacred values” of Muslims.
Saudi Arabia stressed the importance of “spreading the values of dialogue, tolerance and coexistence and rejecting hatred and extremism”. The United Arab Emirates opposes “all practices” aimed at “endangering security and stability”. The Indonesian government warned that freedom of expression “must be practiced responsibly”.
Calls for a boycott of Swedish goods
Qatar, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco also expressed strong criticism. Morocco’s Foreign Ministry was “shocked that the Swedish authorities approved this unacceptable act,” the state agency MAP reported. This act would offend more than a billion Muslims and fuel anger and hatred between religions and peoples. On social media, some users called for a boycott of Swedish goods and services providers.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed his solidarity the following day Quran– Burning with the Muslims. “I want to express my condolences to all Muslims who have been hurt by what happened in Stockholm. Freedom of expression is an essential part of democracy. But what is legal is not necessarily appropriate,” Kristersson tweeted on Sunday.
Hanging Erdogan doll
Recently, a video from Sweden showing an upside-down Erdogan doll caused a stir. A group of Kurdish activists claimed responsibility for the action. These are all actions that are not conducive to Sweden’s accession to NATO, which Turkey has yet to sign. As a condition for approving Sweden’s NATO membership application, Ankara is demanding, among other things, that Stockholm take a harder line against Kurdish activists, whom the Turkish government considers “terrorists”.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
