DUBAI: Swedish police have granted a permit for a controversial protest scheduled to take place outside the Israeli embassy in Stockholm, which includes the burning of holy texts. The decision has sparked condemnation from Israel and Jewish organizations, considering it an act of antisemitism.
The demonstration planned as a response to a recent incident where a man burned pages of the Holy Qur’an outside Stockholm’s main mosque, aims to express support for freedom of speech.
The police emphasized that permits are granted for public gatherings and the expression of opinions, not for specific activities conducted during these gatherings. They clarified that they do not issue permits for burning religious texts. However, the protesters claim that the burning of the Torah and the Bible is a symbolic act in response to the Holy Qur’an burning protest.
Israel Denounces Sweden
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog strongly denounced the decision, expressing his condemnation of allowing the burning of holy books. Yaakov Hagoel, chairman of the World Zionist Organization, characterized the permit as an act of antisemitism rather than freedom of expression.
In June, Swedish police granted a permit for a similar protest where an individual stomped on the Holy Qur’an and set pages on fire. The incident led to international backlash, with several countries summoning Swedish ambassadors and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation holding an emergency meeting.
While Sweden’s government condemned the burning as “Islamophobic,” it also stressed the country’s constitutionally protected rights to freedom of assembly, expression, and demonstration. The government recognized the need to balance these rights with the responsibility to combat hate speech and discrimination.
