Sweden Mulls Police Involvement to Deter Quran Burnings
This was announced on Friday as Swedish authorities stress that the police can stop the acts only if they are deemed a threat to national security.
In response to recent Quran desecrations, Sweden raised its terrorist alert level to the second highest tier on Thursday. These incidents provoked strong reactions within the Muslim community.
The government has made it clear that it has no intention of altering the freedom of speech laws that are being misused by radical elements to provoke the feelings of two billion Muslims.
Nevertheless, Minister of Justice Gunnar Strommer stated on Friday that he intends to establish a commission to explore the possibility of granting the police broader authority to address incidents like Quran burnings.
Strommer emphasized that any such intervention would be based on the assessment of "serious and qualified threats," not vague or general international dissatisfaction.
This authority could potentially involve changing the location of protests or dissolving them.
It is worth noting that a refugee of Iraqi origin in Sweden has been behind several acts of Quran desecration in the Nordic country in recent months, prompting concerns about the need for stronger measures to prevent similar incidents.
In response to an increase in threats against Swedish interests abroad, the government announced earlier on Friday that it had heightened security measures at embassies and other missions.
The latest act of Quran desecration happened in front of the Iranian Embassy in Stockholm on Friday. A woman tried to stop the blasphemous act by using a fire extinguisher but was arrested by the Swedish Police.
