An Iraqi demonstrator holds the Quran during a protest near the Green Zone against the burning of a copy of the Quran and the Iraqi flag in the Swedish capital Stockholm, in Baghdad, Iraq July 22, 2023. (Credit: Khalid Al-Mousily/Reuters/File Photo)
The Swedish state does
not sanction or condone Quran burnings but they are permitted by
Swedish freedom of speech laws, Foreign Minister Tobias
Billstrom said on Thursday.
"In some countries, there is a perception that the Swedish state is behind or condones this. We don't," Billstrom told reporters.
"These are acts committed by individuals, but they do it within the framework of freedom of speech laws," he said.
On Wednesday, Sweden accused Russia and other state-sponsored actors of spreading disinformation designed to harm Sweden's reputation and damage the Nordic country's bid to join NATO.
Billstrom said he had been in touch with the foreign ministers of Iran, Iraq, Algeria and Lebanon, among others, as well as the United Nations secretary-general.
"And just now I will speak to the secretary-general for the Organization of Islamic Countries," Billstrom said.
"We will discuss these issues and it's important to stress that this is a long-term issue, there are no quick fixes," he said.
Sweden has seen several protests in recent weeks where copies of the Quran have been damaged or burned, causing outrage among Muslims.
not sanction or condone Quran burnings but they are permitted by
Swedish freedom of speech laws, Foreign Minister Tobias
Billstrom said on Thursday.
"In some countries, there is a perception that the Swedish
state is behind or condones this. We don't," Billstrom told
reporters.
"These are acts committed by individuals, but...