Sweden Will Not Ban Burning of Religious Books, Says Prime Minister

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson was quoted by SVT as saying that the Swedish authorities do not plan to ban the burning of religious books after Denmark, as this would require amendments to the country’s constitution.

Respecting Denmark’s Approach

“Each country under acute threat chooses its own way of dealing with them,” Kristersson said. “I have a lot of respect for what Denmark is doing now, but doing the same as in Denmark will probably need amendments constitution, so for Sweden, this is not the best ‘road’.”

Denmark’s Intention to Ban Koran Burning

It comes after Denmark’s Justice Minister Peter Hommelgaard announced on Friday his country’s intention to ban Koran burning following a series of Koran desecrations in the Scandinavian country.

Prohibiting Mishandling of Religious Objects

The justice minister told reporters that the government would introduce a bill that “prohibits the mishandling of objects of great religious significance to the religious community,” noting that the law specifically targets arson and desecration in public places.

Review of Public Order Act in Sweden

The Swedish authorities last week decided to start a review of the Public Order Act, which allows actions related to the burning of the Holy Quran.

Rise in Desecration Cases

Recently, in Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands, there have been repeated cases of desecration of the Koran by the extreme right in front of the embassies of Islamic countries, which caused an angry reaction, in addition to official calls from diplomats of the two countries and more than one Arab country.

Source: RT+ News