The burning of the Koran is now used for various political purposes, says Swedish security policy expert Jan Hallenberg to Uutispodcast.
The burning of the Koran in Sweden has immediate consequences for the country’s security, says the retired research director and current senior expert at the Swedish Foreign Policy Institute Jan Hallenberg.
Sweden is threatened on two levels.
The threat of violence has increased in Sweden, but also outside of Sweden. Sweden’s representatives abroad are at risk of becoming targets of violence. In Iraq, for example, protesters broke into the Swedish embassy in July and set it on fire.
Swedish security police Säpo said at the end of July that the country’s security situation has deteriorated. Sweden has risen from a possible target of terrorist attacks to a primary target.
More is still to be expected, believes Hallenberg.
The situation divides opinion
In Sweden, the burning of Korans related to the NATO process has been treated with ambivalence.
– Some Swedes are mischievously happy that Korans are being burned. They oppose Sweden’s NATO membership, and this [Koraanien poltto] significantly slows down membership.
Hallenberg says that a significant part of the reason for the opposition is related to Sweden’s changed foreign policy line. When Sweden applied for NATO membership in the spring of 2022, it broke Sweden’s 200-year non-alignment. According to Hallenberg, this means a completely new identity, which not all Swedes want to adopt.
Still others criticized the Swedish government for being incompetent when it comes to burning Korans. According to them, the government should prevent the burning of Korans and the escalation of the situation.
– Some Swedes may not understand how difficult the situation is. Burning Korans cannot be banned.
Hallenberg points out that a ban on burning a single book cannot be included in the legislation. On the other hand, riots and the situation growing into an even bigger conflict should be prevented.
Russia has a key in the game
According to Jan Hallenberg, Russia is involved in confusing the situation by spreading disinformation.
– Russia’s interests are behind many fake news. Their purpose is to put Sweden in a bad light, he states.
Hallenberg mentions, for example, fake news that accuses the social welfare agency of being anti-Muslim. According to these sources, children taken into care from Muslim families are deprived of their parents because they are Muslim.
– It is a pure lie, but when it is made public in Muslim countries, it plays directly into Russia’s pocket.
“Over time, the explosive power decreases”
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a press conference at the beginning of August that Sweden is tightening border controls as a result of the Koran controversy. This is what Jan Hallenberg calls a temporary solution.
– Longer-term changes would be exaggerated at this stage, he says.
When Sweden finally joins NATO, the inflamed situation will gradually subside, according to Hallenberg.
– Over time, when Sweden is no longer in the political limelight, the explosive power of this situation will decrease.
Listen to the Uutispodcast episode on the topic: