The government’s reaction to the burning of the Koran in Sweden has drawn strong criticism.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström commented on Monday for the first time about last weeks Koran burning.
He states in his written comment to the Swedish For Expressenthat the government did the right thing in condemning the act of the Iraqi man.
– It is important that we always defend the basic principle of freedom of speech in Sweden. However, freedom of speech goes both ways. What is legal is not always appropriate. Therefore, it was obvious that the government condemned the burning of the Koran, Billström reasoned.
Last week, several Swedish politicians announced that they cannot accept the abduction of the Iraqi man.
For example, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned Koran burning and called it an Islamophobic act that has no place in Sweden.
The government’s reaction to the burning of the Koran in Sweden has drawn criticism.
The burning of the Koran came at a sensitive time
Koran burnings have caused friction between NATO candidate country Sweden and Turkey.
The Swedish government is accused of being ready to compromise the principles of freedom of speech for the sake of NATO membership.
President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said that Sweden’s membership in the military alliance NATO cannot be promoted as long as the burning of the Koran is allowed in the country.
Expert at the Turkish Research Institute Paul Levin seesthat Turkey can benefit from the Swedish government’s reaction to the Koran burning.
Sweden is scheduled to negotiate NATO membership with Turkey on Thursday in Brussels.
Freedom of speech expert Nils Funcke commented on Monday For Dagens Nyheterthat the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should not have commented on an individual citizen’s expression of freedom of speech.
Professor of Civil Law at Stockholm University Mårten Schultz tells again Swedish Radio in an interview that it is problematic if the government singles out an individual citizen whose act it condemns in front of the whole world.
Schultz believes that such an action limits actual freedom of speech in the country and exposes the Koran burner to great danger.
Arranged the bacon and lit the Koran on fire
Last week, an Iraqi man burned a Koran outside a mosque in Stockholm.
The police have arrested one person and launched a criminal investigation into the incident.
It was already the second Koran burning this year.
In February, a far-right politician Rasmus Paludan burned the Koran in Stockholm.
More than 50 Muslim countries have condemned Koran burnings.