Swedish opposition seeks opportunities to amend law that allows Quran burnings

By Atila Altuntas

STOCKHOLM (AA) - The head of the main opposition party in Sweden said Wednesday it is investigating an amendment to the Public Order Law that would make provocative Quran burnings a "hate crime."

Magdalena Andersson said at a news conference that the Swedish Social Democratic Party started to work toward amending a law that allows Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee, to burn copies of the Muslim holy book in Sweden.

She said the party is considering making legal amendments without a constitutional change and is investigating whether to amend the Public Order Law that would constitute Quran-burning a hate crime due to provoking the public.

She said Denmark's recent move to ban Quran burnings would leave Sweden alone in the international arena. The former premier noted that the amendment should be ready next year.

The Danish government announced last week it presented a bill criminalizing the burning of religious scriptures publicly.

The action is being taken to criminalize the burning of the Bible or Quran.

- Provocative acts of Quran burning in Sweden, Denmark

Sweden and Denmark have faced wide criticism for allowing the public desecration of the Quran under police protection.

Swedish-Danish politician Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line) Party, continued to burn copies of the Quran in Malmo, Norrkoping and Jonkoping as well as Stockholm during the Easter holiday last year.

On Jan. 21, he burned the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy and on Jan. 27 outside the Turkish Embassy in Denmark.

Momika burned a copy of the Muslim holy book outside a mosque in Stockholm on Jan. 28 during Eid al-Adha, one of the major Islamic religious festivals celebrated by Muslims worldwide.

On July 20 outside the Iraqi Embassy in Sweden, he threw the Quran and the Iraqi flag on the ground and stepped on them. He burned a Quran outside Sweden’s parliament July 31.

Iranian immigrant Bahrami Marjan staged similar provocative acts on Angbybadet beach in Stockholm on Aug. 3.

Momika also staged another Quran burning outside the Iranian Embassy in Stockholm early in August.

Last week, he again burned a copy of the holy book in front of the Stockholm Mosque.

Meanwhile, the popular short-form video hosting service TikTok has blocked Momika from profiting from his content.