Washington, D.C. | www.mpac.org | January 27, 2023 — The recent burning of the Quran in Sweden has brought into the mainstream questions around freedom of expression, the continued rise of right-wing ideologies across the globe, and double standards in public discourse.

Saturday, a far-right Swedish politician held a Quran-burning outside the Turkish Embassy. A key policy priority for the politician in question: the banning of Muslim immigration to the country and the deportation of Muslims already living in Sweden.

The response from the Swedish government has been meek, stressing free speech as opposed to expressing outrage over the incident itself. The burning of the Quran is a direct message to the Muslims of Sweden. As such, it should be seen as an act of hate meant to intimidate an entire minority group, and should be met with the same derision and outrage as attacks on any other minority group.

Over the past decade we have witnessed the rise in far right-wing ultra-nationalist groups which seek to spread racist and supremacist ideologies. Society must take a stand against such hate speech, and organizations and governments alike should be consistent in denouncing hate speech when it occurs– regardless of which group it targets. 

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