Quran Burning: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) chief Jens Stoltenberg has described the burning of Quran in Sweden as ‘offensive and objectionable, but not illegal.’ The NATO chief has been making an effort to bring parties to compromise over Sweden’s ascension to the military alliance of NATO.
The United States has condemned that event that transpired on Thursday but said that the issued permit for the act was a demonstration of freedom of expression. However US maintains its support of freedom of expression is in no way endorsement of the event.
Burning of Quran
On Wednesday, A man tore up and burned a copy of Holy Quran outside Stockholm’s central mosque on the first day of Eid-al-Adha, one of the holiest days in Islamic Calendar.
A Swedish court had earlier lifted the ban on protest and burning of Quran. Police department allowed the event to taker place as an act of freedom of expression but charged the man who carried out the act for agitation against a particular national or ethnic group.
The action has angered Turkey whose backing is necssary for Sweden’s entry to Turkey. US State Department’s spokesperson Matt Miller said “We believe the demonstration created an environment of fear that will impact the ability of Muslims and members of other religious minority groups from freely exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief in Sweden.” He also added that “It is time to move to full accession to NATO for Sweden.”
Sweden’s ascension into NATO
In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sweden sought entry into the military alliance. Turkey is one of the key powers of the alliance and has held up the process of Sweden’s entry in the group. The burning of Quran enraged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who slammed the event and said that Turkey would never bow down to threat and provocation. Turkey holds deep resentment towards Sweden for harboring Kurdish nationalists in Sweden, who Ankara considers as terrorists and has called for their extradition. Erdoğan has made it clear that the event has added another obstacle in Sweden’s bid to join NATO. Speaking to members of his party, Erdoğan stated that “those who permitted the crime” are equal to those who perpetrated it.
Keep watching our YouTube Channel ‘DNP INDIA’. Also, please subscribe and follow us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and TWITTER
 chief Jens Stoltenberg has described the burning of Quran in Sweden as 'offensive){kind=link}