Sweden police grant permit for another Quran desecration protest
Protesters say they want to see the Muslim holy book banned in Sweden and that they will "burn it many times" until their goal is achieved.
Protests against the desecration of Islam's holy book, the Quran, have taken off across Muslim countries. / Photo: AA
Swedish police have granted a permit for a protest outside parliament in which the organisers plan to burn the Quran, according to local media.
The protest was scheduled for 1:00 pm local time (1100 GMT) on Monday, according to the police permit.
The protesters told media on Monday they wanted to see the Muslim holy book banned in Sweden.
"I will burn it many times, until you ban it," organiser Salwan Najem told Expressen newspaper.
Najem had joined Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika at two previous such protests in Stockholm — outside the city's main mosque and later outside Iraq's embassy,
Quran desecration incidents
Sweden has seen its diplomatic relations with several nations strained over previous protests involving Quran desecrations.
Swedish police have previously stressed they only grant permits for people to hold public gatherings and not for the activities conducted during the events.
But in late June, Momika, 37, set pages of the Quran alight outside Stockholm's main mosque.
A month later, he staged a similar protest outside the Iraqi embassy, stomping on the Quran but leaving before burning it. Both incidents led to widespread outrage and condemnation.
Last week, Sweden ordered 15 government bodies including the armed forces, several law enforcement agencies and the tax office to strengthen anti-terrorism efforts.
New measures considered
On Sunday, neighbouring Denmark said it would explore legal means of stopping protests involving the burning of holy texts, citing security concerns following backlash over incidents that saw the Koran desecrated in the country.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said a similar process was already underway after both Swedish and Danish envoys have been summoned in a slew of Middle Eastern nations.
Saudi Arabia and Iraq have called for a meeting, expected to be held on Monday, of the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address Koran desecrations in both Sweden and Denmark.
Denmark is considering measures against cultural and religious-based attacks following the recent Quran burnings which have been condemned by many nations and will be discussed at a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday.
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