Swedish PM Says 'Extremely Worried' as More Request for Quran Burnings Applied
Kristersson told Swedish news agency TT that there were more applications submitted to the police for holding demonstrations where burning of Holy Quran was planned again.
"If they are approved, we are going to face some days where there is a clear risk of something serious happening. I am extremely worried about what it could lead to," he said.
Sweden's embassy in Baghdad was attacked and set on fire on July 20 by protesters who were angry about a planned Holy Quran burning.
Kristersson said the police had the authority to decide whether to allow the demonstrations or not.
Sweden's security service, SAPO, has maintained its threat level at 3 out of 5, meaning an "elevated threat" during the crisis, but its chief said there had been a strong reaction to recent events.
"Sweden has gone from being seen as a tolerant country to being seen as an anti-Islamic land," Charlotte von Essen told reporters on Thursday.
Denmark and Sweden have said they regret the burning of Holy Quran but claim that they cannot stop it under laws that protect free speech.
"In some countries there is a perception that the Swedish state is behind or condone this. We don't," Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom claimed on Thursday.
"These are acts committed by individuals, but they do it within the framework of freedom of speech laws," he said.
Billstrom said he had contacted the foreign ministers of Iran, Iraq, Algeria and Lebanon among others as well as the United Nations secretary-general about the current crisis.
"And just now I will speak to the secretary-general for the Organisation of Islamic Countries," Billstrom said.
"We will discuss these issues and it's important to stress that this is a long-term issue, there are no quick fixes," he added.
The government is facing a tough challenge in upholding extensive freedom of speech laws, while at the same time avoiding potential insult to Muslims.
Its position is not made easier by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, whose support keeps the right-of-centre coalition in power though the party is not officially part of the government.
Source: Agencies
