Incidents of Quran Burnings Cause Outrage
Recently, there have been several incidents in Sweden and Denmark where copies of the Quran have been damaged or burned. This has made many Muslims very upset. In response to these burnings, protesters even stormed and partly set ablaze Sweden's Embassy in Baghdad. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will be discussing this crisis at a meeting, today, on Monday.
Turkey Calls for Concrete Measures
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan from Turkey has asked Sweden to take real and effective steps to stop these Quran burnings. He spoke to his Swedish counterpart, Tobias Billstrom, on the phone and told him that these actions, which are done under the excuse of freedom of expression, are not acceptable.
During their conversation, Fidan and Billstrom also talked about Sweden's application to join the NATO military alliance. Turkey has the power to veto this application, so it is an important topic for them.
Sweden Acknowledges the Danger
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has recognized the seriousness of the situation. He had a discussion with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and they both agreed that the situation is dangerous. Kristersson mentioned on Instagram that they need to take measures to make their country stronger and more resilient.
The Swedish government has even considered changing their Public Order Act to give the police the ability to stop demonstrations that threaten the country's security. Kristersson defended this decision by saying that it is about protecting their free and open society, democracy, and the rights of their citizens.
Denmark Acts Against Quran Burnings
Minister Fidan also spoke with his Danish counterpart, Larks Lokke Rasmussen, to express his concern about the rising Islamophobia in Europe. He emphasized that allowing these actions under the excuse of freedom of expression is not acceptable.
Rasmussen announced that the Danish government will try to find a legal way to prevent the burning of the Quran in front of other countries' embassies. The Danish government believes that these burnings are meant to provoke and harm Denmark and other nations. They have received condemnation from 15 countries and want to prevent negative consequences for their security.
