Rasmus Paludan, a far-right Danish-Swedish politician known for burning copies of the Quran in Sweden, went on trial Monday, charged with incitement against an ethnic group, according to local media.

Paludan, leader of the Danish political party Stram Kurs (Hard Line), is the first person to face trial in Sweden for Quran burning in the country. The trial took place at a district court in Malmo, but the 42-year-old declined to appear in person, citing safety concerns if he traveled to the southern Swedish city. Instead, he participated via video link from an undisclosed location in Sweden.

According to national broadcaster SVT Nyheter, Paludan is facing two counts of incitement against an ethnic group and one count of insult, related to public gatherings held in Sweden in 2022. In April of that year, Paludan held a rally where he burned copies of the Quran, which led to riots in several cities, including Malmo, Landskrona, Linkoping, and Orebro. Prosecutors allege that statements he made during these gatherings constitute incitement against an ethnic group.

Paludan is also accused of racially motivated verbal attacks against Arabs and Africans at another public event in 2022, for which he faces a charge of insult. If convicted, he could serve up to six months in prison. Paludan denies all charges.

The Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark, carried out in 2023 under the pretext of free speech, have provoked widespread protests in Muslim-majority countries, including attacks on diplomatic missions.

In response, Denmark passed a law in December making it illegal to burn copies of the Quran in public. Sweden, however, is still evaluating potential legal measures to empower police to deny demonstration permits on national security grounds.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has urged its member states to consider political and economic actions against Sweden, Denmark, and other countries where the Quran is permitted to be burned. The OIC characterized such acts as “aggressive actions that spread hatred and contempt for religions, threatening global peace, security, and harmony.”

Source: Anadolu Agency

Quran is a Divine book that provides ethical and spiritual lessons and advocates equality of all human beings before the Almighty God. This holy book has been an inspiring and guide not only for millions of Muslims but for all open-minded intellectuals of the world.

Quran has a clear message of guidance for all people of knowledge and wisdom, and provides support and advice for the pious believers. It is a book that saves the people from darkness and guides them towards light and freedom. The Holy Quran provides logical reasoning in order to make a distinction between truth and falsehood. It is the best guide which offers glad-tidings and a great reward for the true believers.

Most of the scholars and intellectuals in the West have acknowledged the impact of the Quranic teachings as an inspiring source for Muslims in creation and development of Islamic science and civilization for all human beings. The current status of advancement of science and human civilization is partly due to the efforts of Muslim scientists and scholars of the time.

Vilification of human integrity and sacred beliefs and values of the followers of other religions, including Muslims, under the pretext of freedom of speech is condemned. The scholars and intellectuals of the world, particularly the academic and religious people, are expected to prevent occurrence of such anti-cultural and unethical activities which increase Islamophobia. Furthermore, they are requested to express their objection to such racist and anti-human movements which causes hatred and division among the followers of divine religions.

The government authorities of different countries of the world and the religious scholars have a duty to prevent and ban any insulting behavior towards religious beliefs of the followers of other religions. At the same time, they should encourage respecting the rights of others and practice coexisting with followers of other religions.

Since the followers of other religions such as Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians have lived in peace, harmony, and prosperity in the Islamic countries for many years, such anti-religious and anti-cultural activities create general hatred which may cause hard reactions by narrow-minded and bigoted people. All divine books carry the message of peace, love and help to each other in order to elevate the level of human moral issues. Burning the Divine book of Quran is equivalent to insulting logic, reasoning, and human ethics in civilized communities of the world.

Islamic Research and Information Center (IRIC) strongly condemns any insult to the holy Quran, as well as to other divine books of God, and asks all international and academic communities and intellectuals, particularly in the western world, to join us in this condemnation. We hope that peaceful inter-religious dialogue creates further understanding and mutual respect and co-existence between different religious individuals and communities of the world.

Islamic Research & Information Center
February 7, 2023
www.iric.org