Man Faces Trial For Inciting Hatred Against Muslims By Burning Quran
He stood trial on Thursday in a court in the city, according to Radio Sweden.
The man allegedly carried out the act of Quran desecration on September 11, 2020, in a secret act outside the cathedral in the middle of the night. He also displayed a text that insulted Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
He recorded a video of his act and shared it online with a song that was used by Serbian forces during the war in the former Yugoslavia and by a terrorist who killed 51 people at a mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019.
The prosecutor said that burning the Quran itself is not a crime in Sweden because it is protected by freedom of expression. However, she argued that the man did not have a permit from the police to hold a demonstration and that he used the song and the text to express hatred against Muslims. She said that proving the crime involves complex legal issues and that they have evidence to support their case.
The man denies the charges and claims that he has no particular opinion about Muslims.
The trial comes as Sweden has been under heavy criticism for allowing extremist elements to attack Islamic sanctities under the guise of freedom of expression in the past few months. Muslim nations as well as international organizations have urged Stockholm to review its laws and prevent similar acts that insult the beliefs of some two billion Muslims across the globe.
Source: Agencies
