Police in the Swedish city of Stockholm have imposed an indefinite ban on granting permission for protests involving the burnings of the Islamic Qur’an, supposedly due to concerns over threats to Swedish security.
Police in Stockholm have announced that going forward they will likely not grant any permissions for protests that involve the burning of the Islamic Qur’an.
The Swedish capital’s police force, along with the Swedish Security Police (Sapo), claim they have determined the burnings were a threat to Swedish security interests — essentially submitting to threats of terrorism.
Police spokesperson Ola Österling spoke about the decision, telling broadcaster SVT that “we will generally not allow the Qur’an to be burned during a public gathering in Stockholm.”
Stockholm police have denied permits for Qur’an burnings in recent weeks, with the latest being denied after a man of Iraqi background expressed a desire to burn a copy of the Islamic holy book in front of the Iraqi embassy, which would have taken place earlier this week on Monday.
“Overall, the Swedish Security Police believes that Qur’an burnings in themselves have increased and in the future may increase the threat of attacks against Sweden and Swedish interests in the short term,” the Stockholm Regional Police said.
According to Ola Österling, the applicants who were denied permission to protest are both appealing the police decision, a move the police claim they welcome.
“We want to get it tested that our reasoning is legally secure,” Österling suggested.
“We are aware that it is a restriction on freedom of expression. And in order to be able to make decisions about interference with freedom of expression, which is a constitutionally protected right and freedom, it is required that it is stated in law,” she added.
The supposed right to freedom of expression in Europe is underpinned by the European Convention on Human Rights, as overseen by the supranational European Court of Human Rights — but it comes with an extraordinary list of caveats, with the Convention stating that it can be abridged “in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary.”
The ban comes nearly a month after Danish-Swedish anti-Islam activist Rasmus Paludan burned a copy of the Qur’an in Stockholm outside of the Turkish embassy — although he has been burning the Islamic holy book at demonstrations in Sweden and elsewhere for several years prior.
Since the burning, Turkey has halted talks with Sweden over Sweden’s application to join the NATO military alliance.
Turkish resident Recp Tayyip Erdogan went as far as plainly stating that he would not accept Swedish membership as long as Qur’an burning was still legal in the country.
“As long as you allow my holy book, the Qur’an, to be burned and torn apart, we will not say yes to your entry into NATO. Our view of Finland is positive, but not of Sweden,” President Erdogan said, in reference to the fact that the Finns, who have also applied to join the alliance, have obediently blocked attempts to hold Qur’an burnings.
Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com.
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