It is difficult to understand the purpose of the Koran burning action, just as it is difficult to answer the question of whether the Turkish parliament will approve Sweden’s application to join NATO. The logic of events indicates that, along with the vandalism, the progress of the Swedish-Turkish dialogue in the foreseeable future was also burned.
On 28 June, the entire Islamic world was celebrating its traditional Eid al-Adha, the main Muslim holiday. Suddenly, Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi, arguing that he was targeting an object “that calls for violence and murder”, trampled on the Qur’an and then set it on fire.
This happened in Stockholm, Sweden, in front of the grand mosque, and the act is still keeping alive the indignation not only of Muslims but also of many who feel that this was an act of ethnic and racial hatred. According to experts, the new act of vandalism against the Muslim holy book under the pretext of democracy and freedom of expression will not make it easier for the Scandinavian country to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
On 27 June, the country’s police issued a permit to burn the Koran in front of a mosque in the capital’s Södermalm district, when the entire Islamic world celebrates Eid al-Adha.
The law enforcement authorities were guided by the decision of the Stockholm Administrative Court, which found the action to be legitimate, as the permit was granted to 37-year-old Iraqi Salwan Momika, who did the deed by claiming to be carrying out an act of democracy.
Of course, Salvan does not speak Swedish, and his words were relayed to his audience by an interpreter in the presence of some 200 witnesses.
Rasmus Paludan, a Danish national of Swedish origin, known extremist and neo-Nazi, had carried out, on 21 January, such an atrocity in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, which was strongly condemned by Istanbul and strained relations between the two nations.
In May 2022, Finland and Sweden jointly applied to join the military bloc, and on 4 April this year, the former achieved its goal, while the parliaments of Türkiye and Hungary have not yet approved Sweden’s application.
According to the North Atlantic Alliance’s Charter, each country must ratify the proposed new member’s application through its national parliament.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for his part, has since last year put forward a series of requirements for Sweden to join NATO, to which the Scandinavian country responded and, among other measures, announced that it would arrest Paludan if he entered its national territory.
Now Paludan’s prank was repeated by a native of Iraq, a random person who, according to local analysts, was hired by someone.
But for what purpose was the act committed, just to show the world that Swedish democracy is still alive?
In fact, these are the convulsions of Swedish democracy, for barbaric and vandalistic actions cannot be called democratic, and it is not for nothing that after the burning of the Koran Momika is suspected of inciting inter-ethnic hatred.
Of course, there were times when the mere mention of democracy made people feel euphoric, but those days are gone. PL
(Translated by Cristina Popa – Email: gcpopa83@gmail.com) – Photos: Pixabay
.jpg)
