The Jewish community in Turkey joined the global condemnation of the burning of the Koran by an extreme right-wing politician in Stockholm, Sweden last Saturday. The protests continue in Turkey and condemnations are pouring in from the international community
The Turkish Jewish community joined the global condemnation after the burning of the Koran by an extreme right-wing politician in Stockholm – Sweden last Saturday. “We strongly condemn Rasmus Faludan and those who allowed him to burn the Koran,” the community told the media, hours after the Swedish-Danish anti-Islam activist Faludan burned a copy of the Holy Book of Islam in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm with the approval of the Swedish authorities and under the auspices of the police.
“This is a hate crime, an act of religious terrorism. We all need to respect the beliefs and cultures of others,” said the Jewish community. Faludan’s act, which has been widely called an “Islamophobic hate crime,” sparked global outrage over the weekend for its provocative, anti-Islamic and blatantly anti-Turkish motives.
Ankara was vocal in its response, condemning the obscene act which it described as an “evil attack”. Turkey also canceled visits by the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament and the Swedish Minister of Defense to the country.
The possibility of Palloden carrying out his hate crime under the auspices of the Swedish authorities greatly clouds the bilateral relations between the two countries, especially against the background of Sweden’s desire to join NATO, which may reach an impasse following the stormy weekend.
Remember, as reported in ‘Bahadari Haredim’, the burning of the Koran is not the first time that Faludan, a lawyer by profession, causes a stir, and last year he burned the Koran wrapped in pork, a meat considered forbidden by Muslims. In addition to the condemnation issued by Turkey, it also stated that the visit of the Swedish Defense Minister was canceled because it had lost its meaning.