Muslim Anger at Sweden over Qur ’an Burning Is Misplaced

Mustafa Akyol andJohan NorbergThese days, there isanger across the Muslim world against Sweden. Large protests against the small Scandinavian nation have taken place in Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Indonesia, Afghanistan, and Lebanon. In some places Swedish flags were burnt, and some even chanted, “Death to the Swedish government.”All this is a reaction against an act of one man: far ‐​right Danish politician Rasmus Paludan, who also happens to be a Swedish citizen. On Jan 21,he publicly burnt a copy of the Qur ’an in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm. Turkish authorities responded with strong statements, followed by other Muslims leaders, for such a brazen insult against their faith.Such anger was understandable — as long as expressed nonviolently — but why was it directed not just against Paludan and his marginal Danish party called “Hard Line,” which wins less than two percent of the votes, but Sweden as a country?The answer is that many Muslims also blame Swedish authorities for having “allowed” this protest. They are also not convinced by Swedish prime minister’scondemnation of the act as “deeply disrespectful.”Why is that?One reason is a political culture which assumes that any decent government should ban anything that it deems indecent — which is what the current Turkish government, for example, proudly does. Many Turks, and many others in most Muslim‐​majority nations, are just not used to a&nbs...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs