Sweden blocks Quran-burning protest
Turkey came out against Sweden’s NATO bid after a far-right activist burned a Quran outside the Turkish embassy last month. Sweden is now seeking to resume dialogue over the issue.
Authorities in Sweden decided on Wednesday not to allow a planned Quran burning.
Swedish police denied permission to a protest planned for Thursday that would have included a burning of the Quran. The protest was against Sweden’s bid to join NATO, Deutsche Welle reported.
The ban followed far-right politician Rasmus Paludan burning a Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm last month. Swedish authorities previously said that the incident was causing security concerns for Swedish citizens abroad.
Why it matters: The Quran burning in Stockholm created a diplomatic firestorm, particularly with Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan publicly came out against Sweden’s bid to join NATO after the incident. Turkey was already critical of Sweden and Finland’s quests to join NATO due to the presence of Kurdish groups in the Scandinavian countries.
