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Sweden, Danmark struggle to tame Muslim fumes over Quran burnings
CGTN
 A man holds Quran as demonstrators  protest against Quran burning in Sweden and Denmark in Karbala, Iraq on July 28, 2023. /CFP
A man holds Quran as demonstrators protest against Quran burning in Sweden and Denmark in Karbala, Iraq on July 28, 2023. /CFP

A man holds Quran as demonstrators protest against Quran burning in Sweden and Denmark in Karbala, Iraq on July 28, 2023. /CFP

Sweden and Denmark have been striving to tame widespread Muslim anger sparked by government-approved demonstrations involving the burning of Quran copies in the two countries.

The Danish government will seek to "find a legal tool" that would enable authorities to prevent such burnings in front of other countries' embassies in Denmark, Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told the national broadcaster DR on Sunday.

"The burnings are deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals. These few individuals do not represent the values the Danish society is built on," Rasmussen said separately in a statement.

It followed the Swedish migration agency's statement issued late on Friday saying it is re-examining the residency permit of an Iraqi refugee who is behind several Quran desecrations in Stockholm in recent weeks.

The man burnt a copy of the Quran last month outside of Stockholm's central mosque and also held a demonstration in front of the Iraqi embassy in July where he said he would burn the holy book, but did not do so.

The migration agency said it had received information from the Swedish authorities that had given reason to examine whether the man's status in Sweden should be revoked.

The two Scandinavian countries have found themselves in the international spotlight in recent weeks following anti-Islam protests where the Quran, the Muslim holy book, has been damaged or burned, offending Muslims around the world.

Both countries have said they deplore the burning of the Quran but cannot prevent it under rules protecting free speech.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Thursday told local news agency TT that further requests had been filed with police for permission to hold protests where desecration of the Quran was again planned.

"If they are granted, 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.

Stockholm police have also received applications for demonstrations that included burning other religious books such as the Christian and the Hebrew Bible, prompting many to criticize Sweden.

Swedish courts have ruled that police cannot stop burnings of holy scriptures, but Kristersson's government said earlier in July it would examine if there was reason to change the Public Order Act to make it possible for police to stop Quran burnings.

Muslim nations have condemned desecration acts in Denmark and particularly in Sweden. Protests were held in Muslim nations in front of the two European countries' embassies and in some cases turned violent.

(With input from Reuters)

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