A man who plans to burn the Torah and the Bible outside the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm on Saturday has received permission from the Stockholm police to hold a public demonstration. The man said he wanted to protest against a Quran-burning incident that took place outside a mosque last month by an Iraqi immigrant.
This decision has sparked outrage from Israeli officials, who have urged the Swedish government to stop the protest and prevent the desecration of the holy books of Judaism and Christianity. They said that such an act would be a sign of religious intolerance and hatred.
The Swedish police said that they approved the protest based on the constitutional right to hold public gatherings, not on the content or actions of the demonstrators. They said that they only expected three people to participate in the protest, which scheduled for 1 p.m. (1100 GMT) on Saturday.
Sweden has faced criticism from Muslim countries for allowing anti-Islam protesters to burn the Quran at small demonstrations in recent weeks. The country does not have any blasphemy laws since the 1970s.
The Council of Swedish Jewish Communities condemned the police decision. They said that burning Jewish books historically linked to the persecution and genocide of Jews in Europe. They called for respect and dialogue among different faiths.