Sweden considers amending law to allow police to ban Quran burnings

Shafaq News/ Sweden's government is considering amending the Public Order Act to allow police to refuse permission to commit acts such as burning the Quran only if it is regarded as a threat to national security, Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said on Friday.

Strommer said the amendment would give the police more discretion in deciding whether or not to allow a Quran burning and would enable them to take into account the specific circumstances of each case, such as the location of the burning, the likelihood of violence, and the potential impact on public order.

He said the amendment would not ban the burning of the Quran altogether but would give the police the power to refuse permission if they believe it threatens national security.

The move comes after Sweden raised the terror alert to the second-highest level on Thursday, saying it had thwarted attacks after copies of the Koran were burned, pages torn out and desecrated.

Sweden's broad free speech laws protect actions such as insulting public figures or ridiculing religion, and the government is unlikely to change them.

However, burning the Quran is a highly sensitive issue for many Muslims, and it could be seen as a provocation that could lead to violence. The government is therefore trying to balance the right to free speech with the need to protect public safety.