Finland would not allow burning of Quran

Helsinki, The Gulf Observer: Police in Finland has said the public burning copies of Islam’s holy book, the Quran, would not be allowed in the country, local media reported.

The National Police Board said burning a copy of the Quran would likely violate religious peace, which is a punishable offence in Finland, said media reports, citing the Finnish News Agency STT.

The public burning or other desecration of a book held sacred by a religious community would be met with police intervention, added the police.

In response to a question from Turkish Anadolu Agency on whether they would adopt a similar approach, the Swedish Foreign Ministry reiterated its position on burning a copy of the Quran in the name of freedom of expression.

“The government understands those who are offended by actions such as the burning of holy scriptures,” the ministry noted, adding “not everything that is legal is necessarily appropriate.”

Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line) Party, burned a copy of the Quran in front of a mosque in Denmark on Friday.

The anti-Muslim act came days after the far-right leader burned a Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Sweden during a police-approved incident.

Paludan also announced that he would burn a copy of the Islamic holy book every Friday until Sweden is included in the NATO alliance.