Sweden had quite recently allowed the burning of the Qur’an on the grounds of the freedom of expression, but now it is under pressure from Turkey, which is opposing its membership in NATO unless it abandons the freedom of speech. So goodbye, freedom of speech.
“Police in Stockholm: Koran burnings will not be allowed as a rule,” translated from “Polisen i Stockholm: Koranbränningar kommer i regel inte att tillåtas,” SVT, February 16, 2023:
In a short time, two applications for Koran burnings have been denied. The police in Stockholm, together with Säpo, have concluded that Koran burnings are a threat to Swedish society and Swedish interests.
“As a rule in Stockholm, we will not allow burning the Koran during public gatherings,” says police spokesperson Ola Österling.
So far, two applications to burn the Koran in a public place in Stockholm have been denied. In both cases, the refusals have been appealed, which is welcomed by the police.
“We want to have it tested that our reasoning is legal,” says Ola Österling to SVT Nyheter.
“We are aware that it is a restriction on freedom of expression. And in order to be able to make decisions about restrictions on freedom of expression, which is a constitutionally protected freedom and right, it is required that it is stated in law.”
Although the police believe that the threat in this case is abstract, they feel that it is not possible to ensure safety.
“It could evoke, partly on site but also in a Swedish context, a threat to Swedish interests and to Swedish society,” says Ola Österling.
Conrad says
Well once they join NATO, they will join the numbers of countries in violation of the treaty between Ronald Reagan and Mikael Gorbachov which stated NATO will not grow an inch.
This the cause of the war.
Wellington says
What treaty was that? Name it.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Not Reagan & Gorby. It was a verbal commitment given by President Bush to President Yeltsin not to expand NATO beyond Germany. When they broke it, they should have accepted Russia’s application to join as well: this too was during Yeltsin’s, not Putin’s regime
I don’t think Sweden gains anything by joining NATO. If they want, they should expand their military and up their defense spending to >2%. And flip
TurkeyTürkiye the bird🖕gravenimage says
There is no such treaty–this is a frequent canard. Then, NATO is a *defensive* alliance–it has never invaded Russia; it has never threatened to invade Russia.
Then, I presume by war you mean Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? Several problems here–Ukraine petitioned to join NATO back in 2008, and was turned down. So Ukraine was not poised to join NATO in any case.
Finally, it is against the law in Russia to call the invasion of Ukraine a war–you can be sentenced to up to fifteen years in prison there. It is supposed to be referred to as a “Special Military Operation”.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
President Kennedy had a fit when the Soviets tried to put nuclear missiles in Cuba. Any president of Russia – not just President Putin – would be completely justified in NATO’s borders moving closer to Russia, even while they refuse to consider Russia as eligible for membership. It sends the message that in NATO’s eyes, Russia merely supplanted the Soviet Union as their #1 enemy
Also, NATO is a defensive alliance, but against whom? Until 1991, it was against the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, both of which disbanded by that year. Since then, NATO has been a force for evil, most notably in Kosovo, where they forcibly pried Kosovo out of Serb control. The US should have left it long ago: we’re spending enough money confronting China in the Pacific, and don’t need the added burden of NATO which is so bereft of missions that they wanted to add climate change to their list of enemies. Also, NATO did nothing to rein in Turkey when it went out of its borders to attack the Kurds in Syria and Iraq. Also, Azerbaijan is a non-NATO ally, as is Qatar, and NATO did nothing to prevent the former from attacking Armenia. NATO has all the wrong allies and is now as much a force for evil as Russia is. If the EU wants to form its own army, let them, but it’s high time the US got out of this alliance
gravenimage says
Infidel, as I note below, I had wondered in recent years if NATO had much of a purpose. Then Russia invaded Ukraine, and it turns out it does. Russia has never invaded a NATO member.
James Lincoln says
“If you want to know who rules over you, look at who you are not allowed to criticize.”
― George Orwell
Wellington says
+1
Hoi Polloi says
+1
Mfon Inwang says
Absolutely correct
John ..Smith says
Spot on James.
gravenimage says
Spot on quote, James.
tim gallagher says
Hopefully, the burning of the Koran will go ahead after the appeals against the ban win. Interesting last sentence in the report about how the Koran burning is a threat to Swedish interests and society. I guess they mean that the Muslims in Sweden might have violent protest and maybe commit terrorist acts in Sweden in their usual barbaric way, but I wonder if they are also worried that Turkey might try to damage Sweden in some way or if the oil rich Muslim countries won’t sell them oil or some such thing. I hope they do burn the Korans. Christianity, a far more pleasant and peaceful religion than islam, is often ridiculed and disrespected so to hell with barbaric islam which should not be protected at all. An evil religion that deserves no respect at all for all the damage it has done in its long, hideous history..
Awake Christian says
Islam isn’t even a religion. It is a barbaric, murderous arab conquest ideology that seeks to regulate all aspects of life and never produced anything except more Muslims.
tim gallagher says
I agree with what you say about what islam is, Awake Christian, (as in an Arab conquest ideology) however I would say that islam is definitely a religion since Muslims believe in this foul version of what god is supposed to be like called allah. i’d say that any ideology that has a concept of what god is like, is a religion. I believe that the Christian version of what God is like is the best and most pleasant, as shown in the extremely loving and peaceful nature of Jesus, and I am a Christian myself, though not a very good one I suspect, and islam is, to my mind, the most evil religion still fouling up the human race. The old Aztec religion, now thankfully extinct, was another evil religion. If only islam would die out as well. It is a load of barbaric garbage. Religions can be evil and anything that has a concept of a god is surely exactly what a religion is.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Fully agree w/ you. It’s a bizarre cross b/w a geopolitical ideology, such as Communism, and a garden variety cult, such as Branch Davidian. There was an essay from Ali Sina years ago explaining why islam is more of a cult than a religion
James Lincoln says
Infidel,
Unfortunately, islam apparently contains enough “religious” elements to have it “protected” under that umbrella.
Likely, the writers of the U.S. Constitution did not anticipate a religion that was totally evil.
tim gallagher says
I see it as pretty simple, Infidel. Any movement that has some concept of god is what I think is a religion. I think that, throughout history, there have been many evil religions with vicious versions of what god is like. I think that the old Germanic and Viking religions would qualify as warlike, vicious religions. I’m sure that the people who worshipped Baal in tthe Old Testament were following a vicious god. James, it is a damned shame that islam gets the protection and respect religions receive. Infidel, when I first began to try to learn about islam, maybe 20 years ago, Ali Sina was one of the first critics of islam that I found useful. I used to look at his Faith Freedom (I think that was its name) web site. A bit later I came across Robert Spencer’s book “Islam unveiled” and stuck with him. He is the best debunker of islam I have found.
gravenimage says
+1
somehistory says
nato…how valuable is membership in that club? Who believes they can trust biden to come to their aid?
Remember the He-Man Woman Haters Club? Alfalfa was best friend of founding member Spanky, but he
just couldn’t resist Darla, and her charms. No “gurlz” were allowed.
biden would china to have membership in nato.
The police in stockhome and sapo have made a choice…wanting to be in the same club as turkey, ruled over by a mad tyrant intent on subjugating the world under his caliph, and giving up something of great value. Once they surrender the freedom to express themselves, they will never get it back from the mozlum tyrants.
Hoi Polloi says
My unrealistic hope for DT’s term was a US exit from both NATO and the UN and associated bodies. I wasn’t alone. Tucker just did a piece on Trump’s views of NATO and the push for WWIII. If only.
gravenimage says
Up until last year around this time I had wondered if NATO still had a purpose. Then Putin invaded Ukraine, and it was obvious that it still does.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Fully agree w/ you. I see Graven’s comment above, but I do believe that had the US withdrawn from NATO, Putin wouldn’t have cared whether or not Ukraine joined, just like Moscow has less problems w/ Ukraine joining the EU (actually, they’d just be screwing themselves). Or, if NATO had to be preserved, the better idea would have been to admit Russia into the alliance and make it a bulwork against China. Oh, and toss Turkey out, and remove Qatar and Azerbaijan as non-NATO partners
gravenimage says
Infidel–with all respect–I don’t believe that Russia invaded Ukraine because the United States is a member of NATO. Then, Ukraine had tried to join NATO some years ago and been turned down. Ukraine was not actually poised to join NATO last year.
nicholas tesdorf says
In Sweden, you will not be allowed to burn a Qur’an, but if you feel like burning the Bible, you will be able to stoke up a whole barbecue of Bibles.
Hoi Polloi says
+1
kq6kq6kq6 says
And you will be able to rape Swedish women.
NoLibsWelcomeHere says
Well, DUH!
libertyORdeath says
“In a short time, two applications for Koran burnings have been denied.”
I always laugh at Canadians and Europeans whp mistakenly believe that they have the same free speech rights as America. You’ve been fooled, and this is the proof.
If you have to “apply” to exercise your freedom of expression, and even then your application can be denied based on muslims threatening violence, then you don’t really have the right to free speech or expression. You only have as much “freedom” as the bureaucrats allow you to have.
Pitiful. We used to know that kowtowing to terrorists would only encourage them. Now Europe is literally being ruled by a leftist version of blasphemy laws. Just try to burn a koran or call a man who thinks their a woman a man. You’ll find out real quick how much “freedom” you really have.
This is another reason why…
GLOBALISM = SLAVERY
gravenimage says
Agreed.
Wellington says
Just one more piece of evidence that liberty is being destroyed in the West at large. Well, between Leftism and Islam, unless the West soon grows a pair of balls big time, it will be good-bye to freedom in the once free West—and which is very much what both Leftism and Islam desire.
John Duke says
Again ErdoNut makes all the rules and the rest of the world licks his feet. Why does a Third Workd country run the show?
Aum says
Sweden is gone.
Deodata says
You were doing so well, So are you in charge of your country or is Turkey in power?
Muslim2023 says
Good on you Turkey, keep the pressure up as well as do not allow any more European members to join NATO. Turkey must continue and help Muslims launch a proper media campaign so that Sweden gets a proper understanding about Islam. Islamophobia has no place in the 21st century, it needs to be stamped out.
Hoi Polloi says
Stamped out? Meaning? And what is being stamped out? A mass, false diagnosis of mental illness from 2000 miles distant by a non-medical professional with no standing?
James Lincoln says
Muslim2023 says,
“Turkey must continue and help Muslims launch a proper media campaign so that Sweden gets a proper understanding about Islam.”
I am 100% certain that Turkey would give Sweden the “whitewashed” version of islam…
gravenimage says
This thug “Muslim2023” has been around in various incarnations, including “Muslim2020” and “Muslim2019”–as if Islam ever really changes.
Then, he wants to make sure that no other nations can join a defensive alliance–this is ugly, but should not surprise. Turkey is the one who should not have been allowed to join NATO–it was never able to bring itself up to NATO standards.
Then, he clearly means that Muslims need to threaten Sweden some more–that is the “proper understanding” of Islam he wants Swedes to have.
And of course he doesn’t think that anyone should be able to criticize or even question the horrors of Islam.
Here he is, spouting apologia for child “marriage”:
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2023/02/bbc-comes-out-in-defense-of-islamic-child-marriages-in-india#comment-2456431
࿗Infidel࿘ says
How about Christophobia, Judeophobia, Hinduophobia, Buddhophobia,…? All of which are right there in the quran!
bill carr says
I would not say that Sweden has abandoned freedom of speech as burning books is not freedom of speech as the Nazis showed, The Nazis were certainly not in favour of F.O.S! As books are a form of speech after all is said and done.
Burning books is simply provactive and inflamatory (no pun)
Hoi Polloi says
Rasmus Paludan‘s stated intent was to highlight the differences and this differential, censorious reaction that bans the burning of one specific book proves his point. I disagree that burning a single book to prove a point equates to censorship.
gravenimage says
It is very different having books burned and banned *by the state*, and having an individual burn a book as a political statement.
*Of course* books are a form of speech. But what you are saying here is that no one is allowed to challenge that speech–but replying to speech is also freedom of speech.
Gary Fouse says
The courts in Sweden will overrule this ban. The government is just trying to buy time to get into NATO.
gravenimage says
Sweden abandons the freedom of expression, bans Qur’an-burnings
…………………………………………………………….
Just sickening crushing of freedom of speech. I just wish I could be surprised.