Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has said that he is “deeply concerned” about the consequences of the Quran being desecrated in the future.
Ulf Kristersson, who has expressed concern over the reaction to future incidents of desecration of the Holy Quran, told Swedish news agency TT that more applications have been filed with the police for desecration of the Holy Quran.
Attacks on the Quran in Sweden and Denmark have angered many Muslim countries, including Turkey, Iraq, and Pakistan.
“If such measures are allowed, we will face days where there is a clear risk of something serious happening,” he said. “I’m very concerned about what the outcome could be.”
Ulf Kristersson said it was up to the police to decide whether or not to allow the protests.
On Wednesday, Ulf Kristersson and other Swedish officials said the country had been subjected to a disinformation campaign in which “Russian-backed elements” tried to damage our image. Sweden has accused Russia and other countries of using this crisis to harm our interests and efforts to join NATO.
Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin said Russian-backed elements were making false statements that the Swedish state was behind the desecration of the Holy Scriptures. The head of Sweden’s security service SAPO said there had been a strong reaction to recent events.
Denmark and Sweden have said they condemn the burning of the Quran, but cannot stop it under freedom of expression laws.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said, “There is an impression in some countries that the Swedish state is behind it, or supports it.” We don’t do that. These are actions by individuals, but they do so within the framework of freedom of expression laws.”
Billstrom said he was in contact with the foreign ministers of Iran, Iraq, Algeria and Lebanon and the UN secretary-general about the current crisis and would soon speak to the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Nations.
