Changing constitution lengthy process – requires vote in parliament, general election then another parliamentary vote
\n SWEDEN
\nThere is limited political will in Sweden to ban Holy Quran burnings that have upset large parts of the Muslim world, and it would be complicated to do so even if there were backing for such a move, experts and politicians said on Friday.
\nThe Swedish Embassy in Baghdad was stormed and set alight in the early hours of Thursday (July 20) by supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr in anticipation of a burning of the Muslim holy book outside the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm, the latest of several such acts in Sweden in the past few years.
\nIraq later withdrew its charge d\u2019affaires in Stockholm and Sweden said it had temporarily moved its seconded embassy staff and operations from Baghdad to Sweden for safety reasons.
\nSweden\u2019s laws, current politics and social traditions mean such incidents are unlikely to be halted any time soon.
\nSwedish courts have ruled that police cannot stop burnings of holy scriptures. While the two latest Holy Quran burnings could be tested in court for inciting hate, it is widely believed the act is protected by the constitution\u2019s far-reaching freedom of speech laws.
\nTo change the constitution is a lengthy process that requires a vote in parliament, then a general election, and then another vote in parliament.
\nEven so, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson\u2019s government said last week it would examine if there was reason to change the Public Order Act to make it possible for police to stop the burnings, amid concerns over national security.
\nThe issue of the holy book\u2019s burnings has potentially jeopardized Sweden\u2019s accession to NATO.
\nTurkish President Tayyip Erdogan has previously warned that Sweden would not be accepted into the military alliance if Holy Quran burnings took place there. Turkey, alongside Hungary, has so far held up Sweden\u2019s bid – launched in the wake of Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine \u2013 although Erdogan said earlier this month that he would send the Nordic country\u2019s NATO application to parliament.
\nThe 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation introduced a resolution that passed in the United Nations Human Rights Council on July 12 calling for states to review their laws that prevent prosecution of \u201creligious hatred\u201d.
\nDeputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch of the Christian Democrats said earlier this month that Sweden alone determined its legislation and would not be influenced by other countries\u2019 faiths or laws.
\n\u201cSweden does not bend its back to Islamism. Burning scriptures is reprehensible but not illegal,\u201d she tweeted on July 7 after the burning of a Holy Quran outside a Stockholm mosque.
\nAny potential law change that would make such acts illegal is also highly unlikely to pass because the minority government is dependent on the support of the Sweden Democrats, the second biggest party in parliament after last year\u2019s elections, which is anti-immigrant and critical of Islam.
\n\u201cThe Sweden Democrats have not considered introducing any such law in Sweden, nor do we intend to support any such legislation if put forward in parliament,\u201d Sweden Democrat Party Secretary Richard Jomshof told Reuters in an emailed statement.
\nHoly Quran burnings are permitted in Sweden, Denmark and Norway but not in neighbouring Finland where desecration of holy scriptures in public is illegal.
\nSweden had a similar law but removed it in the 1970s. Sweden has laws banning hate speech against ethnic, national and religious groups and people on grounds of sexual orientation. However, burning holy scriptures has thus far not qualified as hate speech but has been seen as acceptable criticism.
\nJournalist and freedom of speech expert Nils Funcke said changes to the Public Order Act as mooted by the government would be very hard to introduce and would likely clash with Sweden\u2019s constitutionally protected freedom of assembly.
\n\u201cGood luck writing such a law. There won\u2019t be many demonstrations left if we listen to threats from extremist organisations in countries like Iran or Iraq,\u201d he told Reuters.
\n\u201cAnd how would you be able to have a demonstration against someone like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin? That would surely endanger Sweden\u2019s safety,\u201d he added.
\nA 2022 Gallup poll found that Sweden was the country in the world with the highest percentage of citizens stating they do not believe in God. Sweden abolished laws that made it punishable to criticize or mock religion and the royal family in the 1970s.
\n\u201cIt is our tradition,\u201d Funcke told Reuters. \u201cThe argument was that there was no reason for religion to be free from criticism when all other areas of society could be discussed freely,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Changing constitution lengthy process – requires vote in parliament, general election then another parliamentary vote SWEDEN There is limited political will in Sweden to ban Holy Quran burnings that have upset large parts of the Muslim world, and it would be complicated to do so even if there were backing for such a move, experts […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":344713,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-344781","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n