Sweden’s chances of joining NATO go up in flames: Turkey’s President Erdogan says the Swedes ‘should not expect our support’ after an anti-Islam politician’s “stunt” of burning a quran in the streets of Stockholm. (I have a better idea: Kick Turkey out of NATO)
Daily Mail Sweden, however, does give its citizens the right to free expression and that’s why Rasmus Paludan, 41, was allowed by Swedish police to burn the book outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm on Saturday.
As expected, the burning of the quran has provoked furious reactions in Turkey, a Muslim-majority country. ‘Sweden should not expect support from us for NATO,’ President Erdogan said in his first official response to the incident.
He continued: ‘It is clear that those who caused such a disgrace in front of our country’s embassy can no longer expect any benevolence from us regarding their application for NATO membership.’
The incident has met with fury from Turkey, as protestors were pictured burning a Swedish flag in response in Istanbul on Saturday. Turkey had appealed to Sweden to stop the protest and called off a visit by Sweden’s defence minister Pal Jonson.
Erdogan said the burning of the Muslim holy book was a hate crime that could not be defended by free speech. ‘No one has the right to humiliate the saints,’ he said in nationally televised remarks. ‘When we say something, we say it honestly, and when someone dishonours us, we put them in their place.’
Sweden (stupidly) reacted with extreme caution to Erdogan’s remarks, (instead of telling him to go f*ck himself)
Swedish leaders roundly condemned right wing politician Rasmus Paludan’s actions but defended their country’s broad definition of free speech. ‘I want to express my sympathy for all Muslims who are offended by what has happened in Stockholm today,’ Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson tweeted on Saturday.
Danish-Swedish Paludan said he wanted to ‘mark some freedom of speech’ after the hanging of an effigy of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan near the Stockholm city hall provoked a strong response in Turkey. Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the effigy was an attempt to sabotage the country’s application to join Nato.
The decision to allow the burning of the quran came amid strained relations between Sweden and Turkey, following the latter’s decision to push back on Swedish ascension to Nato.
Sweden and Finland have sought Nato membership since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but their bids must be approved by all 30 Nato member states. The two Nordic countries still rely on votes from Turkey and Hungary, which Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has promised to deliver in 2023.
But Turkish officials said the effigy hanging by pro-Kurdish activists last week was contrary to an agreement made previously under which Sweden and Finland would crack down on Kurdish militants as both seek Turkish approval for NATO membership.
Sweden is home to a large number of Kurds, many of whom fled Turkish persecution in the late 1980s and subsequent crises in the Middle East. Turkish foreign minister Melvut Cavusoglu said that Swedish inaction over the effigy was ‘absurd’ and that Sweden should not try to fool Turkey by calling the act ‘freedom of speech’.
In recent days, the country has increased the pressure on Sweden, demanding 130 so-called ‘terrorists’ be extradited to Turkey before the Turkish parliament will approve NATO bids.
Paladan is the leader of the Danish anti-Muslim immigration political party Hard Line. He has been at the centre of anti-Islamic politics in northern Europe for several years.
The lawyer and YouTuber is known for burning the quran several times before and for calling for the deportation of all Muslims from Denmark.
Paludan previously said: ‘The enemy is Islam and Muslims. The best thing would be if there were not a single Muslim left on this earth. Then we would have reached our final goal.’
Ramez Fekry says
Turkey 🇹🇷 used to be a Christian country populated by Greeks, Armenians, and Assyrians.
Beware of Turks!
Az gal says
Turkey did Sweden a favor. They should realize it’s God’s will.
Shaina says
Why doesn’t Turkey take in the 300k+ Muslim refugees living in Sweden ? Why is it the world’s responsibility to take care of the Muslim refugees fleeing their great Islamic nations ?
This Paludan guy performs his anti-Islam antics in front of these refugees so that they don’t get too comfortable & stay back. It’s a bit much but the refugees still live there shamelessly & watch their scriptures get desecrated.
Ghulam says
Burning the Turkish flag outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm won’t elicited any reaction by the Turks. It’s just a flag, meh!
Turks hang Erdogan’s effigy all the time. They have a love-hate relationship with him.
Erdogan makes people disappear like Vito Corleone and his Mafia cohorts, so a large number of Turks hate him. But they love him for standing up to the West. Anyway burning his effigy is not an issue.
You can call the Turks all the names you want: “cockroaches, nasty” They’ll laugh it off.
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But burning the Qu’ran or saying anything against our Prophet Mo — c’mon man, it’s like stirring a hornet’s nest.
You’ll have the entire Muslim world up in arms, not just in Turkey. Even those Muslims who haven’t seen Turkey or Sweden in a map.
The West never learns.
BareNakedIslam says
You mean like this?
https://rumble.com/v26vgeg-quran-burning.html
Ghulam says
Guess I’ll have to make do with beheading a bagful of tomatoes and turnips. Angrily, of course.
But you get the point. I’m among the exceptions who will take it out on salad.
Our Muslim mobs are the NORM.
Say anything against Prophet Mo and they will act out.
ApathyRulesTheWorld says
Anne Barnhardt does it better. https://youtu.be/tIPPSI4G_N8