Swedish police have granted permission for a public gathering to take place outside the Israeli embassy, where a Sefer Torah will be burned r”l. The controversial event is scheduled for Shabbos and has stirred up strong reactions both domestically and internationally.
According to Swedish media reports, a man in his 30s submitted the request, claiming that this act is a response to the burning of the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm last month. The individual argued that it is a symbolic gathering in support of freedom of expression.
The burning of the Quran had ignited anger throughout the Muslim world, leading to widespread protests and even the storming of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. In light of the recent request to burn sifrei kodesh, Israel’s ambassador to Sweden, Ziv Nevo Kulman, expressed shock and horror.
“This is clearly an act of hatred that must be stopped,” Ambassador Kulman expressed on Twitter earlier this month.
Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, also voiced his condemnation of the Quran burning, emphasizing the importance of respecting the sacred texts of various religions.
“I condemn to the utmost this shameful act against what is sacred to our brothers and sisters, children of Avraham who believe in God. These actions are absolutely contrary to the values ??of brotherhood between religions which we as a people and state strive for,” President Herzog stated.
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