Dozens injured in riots in Sweden after Koran burns – KION546
By Amy Cassidy, Mostafa Salem, Caroline Faraj, Obayda Nafaa and Jack Bantock, CNN
Forty people have been injured in riots that broke out during the Easter weekend in southern Sweden after a right-wing extremist anti-Muslim demonstration.
About 26 police officers and 14 members of the public were injured, the spokesperson said, adding that the police had arrested 26 people, including four minors, in Linköping and Norrköping where the violence began on Friday. There would be “more to come” when police analyze images, the spokesman added.
The riots broke out in several of Sweden’s southern cities after burning the Koran by Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Danish right-wing extremist party Stram Kurs (Hard Line).
Paludan planned and carried out the anti-Muslim demonstration and posted a picture of himself on social media with a burning Koran and declared intentions to burn more.
The police “do not know certainly” if the riots began as a protest against the anti-million demonstration led by Paludan, said the spokesperson and added that the police “investigate why and who.” CNN has contacted Tight Course for a comment.
In the city of Norrköping, three people needed medical attention after being hit by police bullets during clashes between police and protesters.
“Three people seem to have suffered from ricochets and are now being cared for in hospital. All three injured are arrested on suspicion of crime “, the police said in a statement online and added that none of the injuries were life-threatening.
The violence spread south to the city of Malmö on Saturday and continued throughout Sunday, the spokesperson said.
Police used weapons against the insurgents, the spokesman said, but did not want to confirm local media reports that tear gas had been used. Insurgents can be seen throwing objects at police in a video filmed by the news agency Reuters Sunday, which also shows vehicles burning.
Police believe that people with connections to criminal gangs took advantage of the situation, according to the spokesperson.
The police saw no further unrest on Monday but will continue to be in Norrköping, they added.
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has also condemned the violence.
The Arab countries condemn the burning of the Koran
Arab countries with a Muslim majority population have condemned the burning of the Koran, as Saudi Arabia called Paludan’s actions a “deliberate misuse of the Holy Quran.”
In a statement published on their state news agency SPA on Sunday, the kingdom called the fires “provocations and incitement against Muslims by certain extremists in Sweden” and stressed “the importance of concerted efforts to spread the values of dialogue, tolerance and coexistence, rejecting hatred, extremism and exclusion”. , and prevent the abuse of all religions and saints. “
In Iraq, the government called on the Swedish government to stop “provocative” actions.
“[The act] was considered a provocation against Muslims’ feelings and extremely offensive to their sanctity … this issue has serious repercussions on relations between Sweden and Muslims in general, a statement from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
In a tweet, the Emirati’s diplomatic adviser to the president, Anwar Gargash, rejected “hatred” and “intolerance” against Islam.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry “condemned the deliberate misuse of the Holy Qur’an” by the far right and said that it was “among the extreme right-wing extremist methods that incite against immigrants in general and Muslims in particular.”
Kuwait “expressed its utmost condemnation and disgust at the defamatory acts committed by Swedish extremists against the Holy Qur’an,” said the state news agency KUNA.
And the Jordanian Foreign Minister said that the measure “contradicts all religious values and principles, principles of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and incites feelings of hatred and violence and threatens peaceful coexistence.”
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Additional reporting from Reuters.