Stockholm: Following the widespread condemnation of the permission granted for a protest outside the Stockholm mosque, which involved the burning of the Qur'an, the Swedish police have now granted permission for an upcoming protest that reportedly involves the burning of the Torah and the Bible.
The well-advertised protest which is expected to be held on Saturday outside the Israeli embassy in Stockholm, drew condemnation from Israel and Jewish organizations worldwide.
The demonstration emerged in response to a recent incident where a man ignited pages of the Qur'an outside Stockholm's main mosque, causing global outrage. The organizers of the upcoming protest argue that burning the Torah and the Bible would express support for freedom of speech.
However, Stockholm police clarified that permits are issued for public gatherings, not for specific activities conducted during them. Carina Skagerlind, a press officer for the Stockholm police, emphasized the distinction, stating that they do not issue permits to burn religious texts.
Israel's President Isaac Herzog swiftly denounced the decision, expressing deep concern over the permission granted in Sweden to burn holy books. Herzog highlighted his condemnation of the burning of the Qur'an and lamented the imminent fate of the Jewish Bible.
Yaakov Hagoel, chairman of the World Zionist Organization, labelled the permit as an act of antisemitism, asserting that it went beyond freedom of expression.
In June, Swedish police granted a permit for a similar protest where an individual stomped on the Qur'an and burned several pages. The incident drew international backlash, prompting an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the summoning of Swedish ambassadors by countries such as Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco.
While Sweden's government condemned the burning as Islamophobic, it acknowledged the constitutionally protected right to freedom of assembly, expression, and demonstration.