The opinion is changing amid the international political squabble about the fires as well as a surge in the use of new technologies.
Stockholm, Sweden – A majority of Swedish people favor a ban on burning in public of religious texts like Scriptures like the Quran as well as the Bible as per a survey that was that was conducted by Swedish SVT, the nation’s television broadcaster. SVT that marks a dramatic change within the Scandinavian nation in which a man set the holy book in flames in the last week.
Protecting Religious Freedom: Swedes Push for Ban on Quran Burnings
In the survey conducted through Kantar Public, 53 percent of the respondents believed that burning holy scriptures from any religion on public display should be banned, whereas 34 percent of respondents said that burning holy scriptures should be permitted while 13 percent were unsure. The results represent an increase of 11 percent of those who wanted to prohibit these acts since February, when Kantar asked the similar question in a Survey for TV4 which is which is a Swedish Television network.
The latest survey was announced Thursday amid a deluge of protests Sweden has had to face since it permitted one man burned the Quran in the vicinity of the Stockholm Mosque on Eid-al-Adha the week before.
Many governments, particularly across Asia as well as the Middle East, publicly condemned the act and Pakistan’s premier demanding a mass protest on Friday. The Pope stated that the pope was “angry and dismayed” at the blaze. It is expected that the United Nations is expected to be meeting soon to discuss the incident.
This global reaction may have contributed to the shift on public opinions, Toivo Sjoren, head of public opinion of Kantar Public, told SVT.
The Quran burnings are a factor in Turkey stalling Sweden’s attempt to become a member of NATO that it announced after Russia’s massive attack on Ukraine at the end of 2022. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed Sweden over the burning incident last week.
“We will be teaching the arrogan
It is the belief of Western people believe that it’s not a right to express one’s opinion and challenge the religious principles for Muslims,” he said.
“Islamophobic” but constitutionally safeguarded’ Swedish government
Although most Swedes are now opposed to the burning of sacred texts, the practice seems likely to be able to go on.
Police have already denied permission to hold two Quran burnings scheduled for 2023, however, the Court of Appeals later overturned these rulings.
The Swedish government has also declared the “Islamophobic” action after it was revealed that the Organisation of Islamic Countries called for measures to prevent any further desecration of the Muslim Holy Book of Islam.
“The burning down of Quran like any other sacred book is a degrading and inconsiderate act as well as an obvious call to arms. Expressions of xenophobia, race and other forms of intolerance should not be tolerated in Sweden or Europe,” the Swedish foreign ministry stated in response to the latest fire.
In the same breath the ministry also stated that Sweden is a country with the “constitutionally secured rights to free expression, assembly and expression”.
Sweden could pass a law concerning incitement against ethnic groups, but it is only to limit what can be said and when burnings are permitted. The complete prohibition of burning holy texts would require the law that Sweden abandoned in the 1970s, only to be brought back into force.
Three brand new ways to torch the Quran and Torah, the Bible as well as the Torah
SVT announced Wednesday that three new applications for burning religious texts were submitted to police.
A lady in her late 50s demanded that she be permitted to burn the Quran in the mosque in Stockholm, the capital city of Stockholm, “as soon as feasible”.
Another request made by an older man wanted to torch the Torah as well as the Bible in front of the Israeli Embassy on July 15. He stated that the act is a response against the Quran burning in the past week and “a symbolic event to promote freedom of expression”.
