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A Swedish court has convicted a man for inciting hatred by burning the Holy Quran in 2020, marking the first such conviction in Sweden. The act had led to global outrage and calls from the Muslim world for the Swedish government to address such sacrilegious acts.
While the Swedish government has condemned such actions, it has consistently upheld the country’s freedom of expression laws.
Read more : Swedens Stance on Holy Quran desecration Sparks Debate.
The Linkoping district court found the 27-year-old man guilty of “agitation against an ethnic group,” stating that his actions had targeted Muslims rather than Islam as a religion and did not promote an objective and responsible debate.
In September 2020, the man shared a video on social media in which he burned the Holy Quran outside the Linkoping cathedral using derogatory music. The court noted that the music used was strongly associated with the 2019 Christchurch attack in New Zealand, where over 50 people were killed in two mosques.
The court stated that the choice of music in the video, considering its content, could only be interpreted as a threat against Muslims with reference to their faith. It further concluded that the content and manner of publication in the video made it clear that the defendant’s primary intent was to express threats and contempt.
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