Sweden says no plans to change 'free speech' law following Qur'an desecration
Sweden says it has no plans to make sweeping changes to freedom of speech laws following several acts of desecration, including the burning of the Holy Qur'an.
In the latest sacrilegious act against the Holy Qur'an, two men set the holy book alight at a protest outside parliament in Stockholm on Monday.
The move sparked further outrage in the Muslim world and renewed tensions between Sweden and Muslim countries.
On Monday, the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) voiced "disappointment" with Sweden and Denmark for not taking action.
Sweden's government has condemned the acts of desecration but said it cannot prevent the incidents under constitutional laws protecting freedom of speech.
“We stand up for the Swedish freedom of speech,” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a news conference on Tuesday.
He urged people to use the freedom of speech responsibly and respectfully.
“In a free country like Sweden, you have a great deal of freedom. But with that great degree of freedom comes a great degree of responsibility."
"Everything that is legal is not appropriate. It can be awful but still lawful. We try to promote a respectful tone between countries and peoples,” he added.
Kristersson said his government would look into measures that would allow police to stop the burning of holy books in public if there was a clear threat to national security.
The prime minister also said an official decision to step up border controls was expected Thursday.
Over the past month, the holy Muslim book has been subject to acts of desecration by extremist elements multiple times in Sweden and Denmark.
The sacrilegious acts have ignited the ire of the entire Muslim community across the globe. Several countries have summoned or expelled Swedish and Danish ambassadors.
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