A recent wave of Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark is “an assertion of a broader anti-immigrant, anti-non-European right-wing bias that has grown to be quite politically strong,” according to a former UN special rapporteur.
“There’s no legitimate purpose by allowing groups to burn the holy scriptures of another religious faith,” Richard Falk, a professor emeritus of international law at Princeton University, told Anadolu in a video interview.
“It seems to me to serve … no possible constructive purpose. And I think there is a strong case for (such acts to be) prohibited.”
In recent months, far-right groups have desecrated and burnt several copies of the Quran in Denmark and neighboring Sweden, drawing fierce condemnation from Muslims around the world and calls for measures to stop such acts.
In late July, Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he was in “close dialogue” with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen, stressing that both countries recognize that “the situation is dangerous and measures are needed to strengthen our resilience.”
While Kristersson has ruled out any sweeping changes to Sweden’s freedom of expression laws, Denmark’s government has said it is “exploring the possibility of intervening in special situations,” but only “within the framework of the constitutionally protected freedom of expression.”
The UN General Assembly, meanwhile, adopted a resolution on July 25 that terms all acts of violence against holy books a violation of international law.