The reactions have not been long in coming after the far-right politician Rasmus Paludan set fire to the Koran outside the Turkish embassy in the Swedish capital on Saturday. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT / NTB – Will express my sympathy Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) expresses sympathy for the Muslims who were affected by Saturday’s demonstrations in Stockholm. “Burning books that are sacred to many is a deeply disrespectful act.” “Freedom of expression is a fundamental part of democracy. But what is legal is not necessarily appropriate,” writes the Prime Minister on Twitter. Photo: GONZALO FUENTES / Reuters The burning of the Koran received limited attention in Sweden, and a person who was present points out to Expressen that there were more members of the press than counter-demonstrators there. In Turkey, the tone was different. The Turks are reacting to the fact that the Swedish authorities did not stop the announced Koran burning. The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs reacted to the Koran burning in harsh terms. “We strongly condemn this heinous attack on our holy book. Allowing this anti-Islamic act, which targets Muslims and insults our sacred values, under the guise of freedom of expression is completely unacceptable,” writes Reuters. Several countries condemn In the Arab part of the world, several countries made statements during Saturday evening. Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait all condemned the Koran burning in official statements. – We are well aware of the purpose of this lack of respect, which will harm billions of Muslims. I curse this fascism, which is the pinnacle of hate crime, writes Kemal Kiliçdaroglu on Twitter. He heads the Turkish opposition party CHP. – Bottoms in Turkey’s deep insecurity Turkey expert Einar Wigen believes that Sweden’s NATO membership is now in danger because Erdogan and Turkey will constantly assert themselves. – It is rooted in Turkey’s deep insecurity about its place in the world, where the slightest insult must be dealt with harshly. Paradoxically, this constant overreaction makes Turkey’s position in the world far more precarious, as they become unreliable partners for other countries. The Middle East professor says that the Turkish authorities are free to react as they wish, when the provocation cannot be linked to the Swedish government. – When Turkey chooses to create diplomatic crises out of marginal groups’ political stunts, it is part of the negotiations on Swedish NATO membership, and Turkey’s need to appear strong, he says. Middle East professor Einar Wigen believes that Turkey’s response testifies to uncertainty. Photo: University of Oslo
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Strong reactions in Turkey to Koran burning in Stockholm – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
