Swedish Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer told the newspaper "Aftonbladet" on Thursday that "the government is considering criminalizing the burning of the Quran or other holy books in public places," in light of the damage caused to Sweden's security by recent incidents of Quran burning. An Iraqi immigrant to Sweden burned a copy of the Quran in front of a mosque in Stockholm last week, which angered the Islamic world and prompted the Pope to condemn the incident. Swedish security services stated that "this act has made the country less safe."
Strömmer added to "Aftonbladet": "We have to ask ourselves whether the current system is good or if there is a need to reconsider it," noting that "Sweden has become a priority target for attacks." He further stated: "We can see that the Quran burning last week posed a threat to our internal security." This year, police have denied several requests to organize protests that were set to include Quran burning for security reasons, but Swedish courts have overturned police decisions, stating that "these acts are protected by Sweden's broad freedom of expression laws."
