by Quran burnings in Sweden This week, yet another Quran was burned outside a mosque in Stockholm, Sweden. It was, similar to previous burnings, a highly provocative act and one may of course ask why it received permission? Because freedom of expression carries more weight! Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs quickly took to Twitter to condemn “the despicable act in Sweden,” and a spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that tolerating such acts is not compatible with Swedish NATO membership. As before, the criticism is directly aimed at the Swedish government. What authoritarian regimes seem to fail to understand is that in Sweden, it is the police that make decisions regarding permits, and Sweden has a constitutionally protected
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Quran burnings in Sweden
This week, yet another Quran was burned outside a mosque in Stockholm, Sweden.
It was, similar to previous burnings, a highly provocative act and one may of course ask why it received permission? Because freedom of expression carries more weight!
Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs quickly took to Twitter to condemn “the despicable act in Sweden,” and a spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that tolerating such acts is not compatible with Swedish NATO membership.
As before, the criticism is directly aimed at the Swedish government. What authoritarian regimes seem to fail to understand is that in Sweden, it is the police that make decisions regarding permits, and Sweden has a constitutionally protected freedom of speech.
Quran burnings are both distasteful and contribute to an already significant polarization and mistrust among groups in our society. I have no understanding or respect for individuals who systematically engage in defaming others. However, that is not an argument to question freedom of speech, even if it riles up anger on the Twitter accounts of authoritarian regimes.
Some of the values that characterize our country are democracy, justice, and the right to have opinions and express them freely. That is important to remember when Erdoğan and others raise alarms and make a fuss.