Protestors abandon his plan to burn Torah in Sweden to teach a lesson to Swedish authorities. Israel records a protests to Swedish Government. Is it a start of a new war or an end to religious insensitiveness?
The man who vowed to burn the Torah and the Bible outside the Israeli Embassy in Sweden’s capital, Stockholm. He had chosen not to set fire to the religious scriptures, Swedish media have reported. Despite being given permission by Stockholm police to hold a three-person protest. The man said he had no intention of burning any books and instead threw a lighter to the ground.
“I never thought I would burn any books. I’m a Muslim, we don’t burn [books],” broadcaster SVT cited the man as telling those gathered for the planned desecration. The 32-year-old Ahmad A. said the real reason for the protest was to draw attention to the difference between freedom of speech and offending other ethnic groups.
“This is a response to the people who burn the Quran. I want to show that freedom of expression has limits that must be taken into account,” explained the Swedish resident of Syrian origin. “I want to show that we have to respect each other, we live in the same society. If I burn the Torah, another the Bible, another the Koran, there will be war here. What I wanted to show is that it’s not right to do it,” he added.
The planned Torah burning was due to take place just days after another man set fire to pages of the Quran, Islam’s holy book, drawing widespread condemnation from Muslims worldwide.
On Wednesday, the U.N.’s top human rights body overwhelmingly approved a measure calling on countries to do more to prevent religious hatred in the wake of the Quran-burnings. It was approved despite objections of Western countries who fear tougher steps by governments could trample freedom of expression.