Beyza Binnur Donmez
26 July 2023•Update: 27 July 2023
GENEVA
Sweden's prime minister said Wednesday that a recent increase of Quran burnings is taking place with "the intention of dividing" and diminishing Stockholm's international position.
"Sweden is currently being exposed to influence campaigns supported by states and state-like players, whose very purpose is to hurt Sweden and Swedish interests," Ulf Kristersson said in a Facebook post as he accused Russian players of being active in "spreading the false claim that Sweden as a state would be behind the scrutiny of various scripts."
"It is, of course, completely wrong," said Kristersson.
He said Sweden does not issue permission to burn copies of the Quran, but police issue permits for public gatherings as a constitutional right.
"Therefore, there are strong reasons to believe that the recent sudden increase in fires is happening with the intention of dividing and scattering and in different ways diminishing our country's position internationally," he said.
"The coordinated disinformation campaigns that Sweden is now exposed to worsen the situation for Swedish citizens and companies abroad, and weaken the security within the country," he said. "It increases the risk of brutal terrorist attacks.”
The last desecration against the Quran took place June 20 in Sweden, when Salwan Momika, of Iraqi origin, trampled the Muslim holy book and the Iraqi flag under police protection in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm.
