Press Release
Quran Burning with the Blessing of the Swedish State to Break Down the Identity of Muslims

On Thursday 14 April, Paludan, far-right Danish politician, was given permission to burn the Quran in both [Norrkoping] and [Linkoping], which he did with massive police protection. This provoked strong reactions from Muslims in the above-mentioned cities, where police were attacked, police cars were destroyed, and the police were forced to retreat. Friday, the following day, similar scenes were repeated in Rinkeby and [Orebro], where the reactions were on a larger scale and some police officers had to seek medical attention. The Quran-burning tour continues over the weekend in various cities in southern Sweden. The National Police Commissioner wrote in a press release that the riots are "an attack on democracy."

The state's huge investment in these hate campaigns, which aim to break the love of the Quran and normalize hatred of Islam, is clear evidence that Paludan is not a lone wolf acting on his own accord. The right-wing extremists have not emerged in a vacuum. The anti-Islam policies of political parties for decades, and which have become more apparent in recent years, have given birth to and nurtured the right-wing monster that today is a tool for the system to whip Muslims with, in order to forcibly integrate them and destroy any loyalty and love for Islam and its symbols. Therefore, we are not surprised that such acts of hatred are repeatedly allowed despite huge consequences for society.

The cause of the riots, vandalism, chaos, and tensions in society is the freedom of speech, which is used to provoke and create tensions in society between different communities. It is not a matter of the right to express one's opinion, but of the right to mock and insult an already trampled part of the population. No civilized society can live in peace and coexistence between different communities if the law allows, protects, and finances provocation and mockery. The Swedish people should protect their society by opposing these anti-Islamic actions, which contribute to nothing but tension and destruction.

On Thursday, 14 April, a video from the mosque in Örebro was circulating on social media in which two police officers answer questions. They are asked if it would be allowed to burn an LGBTQ or "Israel" flag to which the police answer no. So, it's not about the right to express oneself but only about the right to attack Islam. Hizb ut Tahrir / Sweden has repeatedly been banned from renting municipal premises to express its views and has several times had its applications to the police refused because of "long waiting time" while the applications of the hate preachers have been accepted. At the same time, we see how parents whose children have been kidnapped by social services are physically turned away by the police in central Stockholm. Freedom of speech is thus nothing more than a political tool used selectively to pick on Muslims.

Islam, on the other hand, demands that man speak the truth and stand up against injustice. Islam gives the people the right to and even demands them to hold those in power accountable, but Islam strictly forbids mockery and insult. The Caliphate (Khilafah), unlike Sweden, would protect its non-Muslim citizens from mocking and bad treatment, either from fellow human beings or from the state. Thus, Islam guarantees a safe social life for all people regardless of their background and beliefs.

Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Sweden