There is an outrage in the Muslim world over the burning of Quran in Sweden in front of a mosque on the occasion of Eid-Al-Adha, at the peak of Hajj and commemorating the sacrifice of his son by patriarch Abraham. The Swedish government was complicit in allowing this “protest’” to occur in the first place, and even worse later defending this as “legal but inappropriate”. Even the US representative called this as part of freedom of expression.
Can you imagine if a group of Taliban burnt a copy of the Torah in front of a synagogue on Yum Kippur or a copy of the Bible in front of a church on Christmas Day? And what if the Muslim government defended this as “freedom of speech”. I did not hear a single word from any of the western, so called tolerant world calling this as hate speech.
How do you draw the line between freedom of speech/expression and hate speech or hate crime?
It seems like whenever it comes to insulting Prophet Muhammad, or burning copies of the Quran, it is always viewed an expression of free speech in the “free” western world. But anyone says anything semi negative about holocaust, Israel or Jews for example, is automatically a public enemy and is labeled intolerant and hateful. Moreover people loose their job or endorsement, like in the case of Kyrie Irving tweeting in support of an anti-Semitic movie. Nike promptly stripped him of a multi million-dollar endorsement deal. Kyrie has apologized and clarified that he is not an anti-Semitic but since then, he continues to be chastised. Probably will be for ever.
By the way you will never see a Muslim burn the Torah or the Bible. That’s because Muslims believe, as per the teachings of the Quran, that the Torah and the Gospels were revealed to Moses and Jesus, and are guidance and “Noor” (light).
He has revealed to you (Prophet Muhammad) the Book(the Quran) with truth, verifying that which is before it, and He revealed the Torah and the Injeel (Gospel) aforetime, a guidance for the people, and He sent the Furqan (Distinguisher between truth and falsehood).
The Quran 3:3
It was We who revealed the law (Torah): therein was guidance and light. By its standard have been judged the Jews, by the prophets who bowed to Allah’s will, by the rabbis and the doctors of law: for to them was entrusted the protection of Allah’s book, and they were witnesses thereto: therefore fear not men, but fear me, and sell not my signs for a miserable price. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) Unbelievers.
The Quran 5:44
Muslim believe the Quran is the literal word of God, and was revealed to Prophet Muhammad through archangel Gabriel. It is the most sacred piece of literature for them. Even touching it requires one to be clean, and Wudu (ablution) is recommended before touching and reading it.
Rightfully, the Muslim world has reacted with anger. The Swedish ambassadors have been called to lodge the protest and many Muslim governments feel, and rightfully so, that Sweden has created an environment conducive to Islamophobia-many times in the name of freedom of speech and expression. This is not the only time some thing this disgusting has happened in Sweden. In January, a Swedish-Danish right-wing extremist burned a copy of the Quran near the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.
Kuwait called for perpetrators of such hostile acts to be brought to justice and “prevented from using the principle of freedoms as a ploy to justify hostility against Islam or any holy faith.”
Turkish foreign minister Hakan Fidan said, “It is unacceptable to allow these anti-Islamic actions under the pretext of freedom of expression. To turn a blind eye to such heinous acts is to be complicit in them,”.
Similar, strong condemnation came from numerous Muslim governments.
There is way too much “tolerance” to Islamophobic acts as “freedom of speech”- and is equivalent to veiled support. Even our own government, though not support this, said in the same breath that they respect freedom of speech. For some reason these statements of “respect for freedom of speech” are absent when the hate is directed at other religious and minority groups.
Enough with this “freedom of expression” and “freedom of speech”.
This is hate speech, extreme intolerance and outright expression of Islamophobia, supported by Swedish government in the guise of freedom of speech.
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