Summary
A Swedish court sentenced far-right activist Rasmus Paludan to four months in jail for inciting hatred against Muslims after he burned a Quran at two protests in Malmo in 2022.
The court ruled that Paludan’s remarks and actions went beyond permissible criticism of Islam, aiming instead to insult and defame Muslims, Arabs, and Africans. Paludan, a dual citizen of Sweden and Denmark, plans to appeal the verdict.
His Quran burnings previously strained Sweden’s relations with Turkey, complicating Sweden’s bid to join NATO.
Why does “freedom of expression” always mean “let’s hear the Nazi out” in practice?
Not all flammable things are the same. The flag and cross are literal symbols of State power in Sweden, the Quran is a book that’s only precious to an oppressed minority.
I wanna stress that the people sentencing this man to jail are not the same as the people offended by the burning. This power dynamic is important.