July 26 (UPI) — The European Union has taken a firm stance against Koran burnings as the Swedish Minister of Defense, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, revealed that a disinformation campaign is spreading “false claims that the Swedish state is behind the desecration of copies of holy scriptures.”
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, expressed in an official statement on Wednesday, “The EU reiterates its strong and unwavering rejection of any form of incitement to religious hatred and intolerance. The act of desecrating the Koran, or any other book considered sacred, is not only offensive and disrespectful but also a clear provocation. Expressions of racism, xenophobia, and related forms of intolerance have absolutely no place within the European Union.”
The Swedish government is urging the public to remain vigilant against rumors and disinformation regarding the Koran burnings.
“Given the risk that these ongoing disinformation campaigns pose to the safety of Swedish citizens and companies abroad, as well as national security concerns, it is imperative that we all take responsibility and refrain from spreading blatantly false information and misleading messages,” stated Bohlin confidently during a press briefing. The statement from the Swedish Minister of Defense went on to mention that Sweden has been disproportionately targeted by Islamist propaganda efforts since 2021, making it the largest and most extensive campaign of its kind against the country.
Following the Koran burnings, the Prime Minister of Iraq, Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani, took the drastic step of expelling Sweden’s ambassador in response to what the office termed “the Swedish government’s continuous facilitation of burning the Holy Quran, insulting Islam, and desecrating the Iraqi flag.”
Further heightening tensions, far-right protesters burned a Koran at the embassies of Turkey and Egypt in Copenhagen on Tuesday.
These incidents of Koran burnings in Sweden have also strained relations with Turkey. After opposing Sweden’s admission into NATO for more than a year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan finally relented on July 10, agreeing to advance Sweden’s entry into the alliance.
In response to the June Koran burning in Sweden, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan tweeted, “It is completely unacceptable to allow these anti-Islamic actions under the guise of freedom of expression. To turn a blind eye to such heinous acts is to become an accomplice to them.”
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