Sweden, Denmark Express Interest in Banning the Burning of Religious Books

By Matis Glenn

Amid backlash over a series of petitions to burn religious books and geopolitical fallout, government officials in Sweden and Denmark expressed an interest Monday in preventing the activities, according to the Guardian.

Several requests were made and approved by Swedish police to, rachmana litzlan, burn sifrei Torah and Tanachs. Baruch Hashem none of the plans came to fruition, but the possibility of such things hearkened back to centuries of persecution across Europe. The latest such approval came last week, when a woman in her 50’s stated her intention to burn a copy of the Tanach in front of the Israeli embassy in Stockholm.

Harav Shmuel Rabinowitz, rav of the Kosel, expressed shock and amazement at the decision, which was made on Tisha B’Av, the Jewish day of mourning. “The Swedish authorities are weak-handed, muttering empty words about freedom, which are dwarfed by the terrible deeds — the one that has been done and the one that will be done. This is not what freedom looks like, this is what losing the path looks like.” Rav Rabinowitz called on the Swedish authorities “and everyone who values human freedom of expression,” telling them, “It’s not too late.”

“Not for the sake of the holy Scriptures I ask,” Rav Rabinowitz said. “These have already been burned thousands of times by the Jewish People’s haters, but no power in the world could stop them. For your sake I ask. For your soul and for your culture. Put out the fire.”

A Koran was burnt last month in Stockholm, and another was lit and trampled on last Monday. A Christian bible was also set to be burned at a different protest, which did not materialize. A Koran burning in Denmark earlier this month was met with fierce backlash.

Islamic nations have summoned Swedish and Danish envoys, and Iraq and Saudi Arabia have called for a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to address the issue.

Denmark’s Foreign Ministry said Monday that they wish to explore intervention in cases where “other countries, cultures and religions are being insulted, and where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark, not least with regard to security.” But the Scandinavian country stressed “this must of course be done within the framework of the constitutionally protected freedom of expression and in a manner that does not change the fact that freedom of expression in Denmark has very broad scope.”

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Monday that he had close conversations with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and that Sweden was going to look into ways it could prevent the burning of religious books as well.

“We have also started to analyze the legal situation already … in order to consider measures to strengthen our national security and the security of Swedes in Sweden and around the world,” Kristersson said in a post to social media.

According to the Jewish Chronicle, Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer wrote in a letter to Rabbi Menachem Margolin, chairman of the European Jewish Association, that while power in government is limited, he supports legal intervention. ”It is not the government, but the authorities and courts, that decides on individual requests to demonstrate or to hold a public meeting,” the letter read.

“However, the fact that an act is lawful does not mean that it is appropriate. For example, acts that manifestly violate the beliefs of others.

“Desecration of Holy Books is an offensive and disrespectful act, and a clear provocation…We are conducting a process of analysis of the legal situation in the light of this.”

Rabbi Margolin said in response that those seeking to burn religious books are exploiting a “loophole” in the constitution which must be closed.

“While the right to freedom and protest is a fundamental right, it must end at the point where it infringes on another’s fundamental rights of faith and traditions.”

Israel warned on Friday that if Jewish texts are burned, relations between Israel and Sweden are liable to be harmed.  

A Swedish court ruled in April that such burnings were legal, overturning a policy which forbade them.