A 32-year-old man who planned to burn a Torah in Stockholm drew criticism from Israel stated on Saturday that he was not going to carry out his protest.
He clarified that his true goal was to condemn the Nordic nation's practise of burning holy books like the Qur'an.
On Friday, Swedish police said that they had approved a permit for a demonstration that would entail the burning of the Torah and the Bible in front of the Israeli embassy in Stockholm.
Several Israeli officials and Jewish organisations instantly denounced the choice, including Israel's President Isaac Herzog.
Ahmad A., the organizer of the demonstration, explained that his aim actually was not to burn the holy books but to criticize the people who have burnt copies of the Qur'an in Sweden in recent months, something that Swedish law does not prohibit.
“This is a response to the people who burn the Qur'an. I want to show that freedom of expression has limits that must be taken into account,” explained the Swedish resident of Syrian origin.
“I want to show that we have to respect each other, we live in the same society. If I burn the Torah, another the Bible, another the Qur'an, there will be war here. What I wanted to show is that it’s not right to do it,” he added.
He clarified that his true goal was to condemn the Nordic nation's practise of burning holy books like the Qur'an.
On Friday, Swedish police said that they had approved a permit for a demonstration that would entail the burning of the Torah and the Bible in front of the Israeli embassy in Stockholm.
Several Israeli officials and Jewish organisations instantly denounced the choice, including Israel's President Isaac Herzog.
Ahmad A., the organizer of the demonstration, explained that his aim actually was not to burn the holy books but to criticize the people who have burnt copies of the Qur'an in Sweden in recent months, something that Swedish law does not prohibit.
“This is a response to the people who burn the Qur'an. I want to show that freedom of expression has limits that must be taken into account,” explained the Swedish resident of Syrian origin.
“I want to show that we have to respect each other, we live in the same society. If I burn the Torah, another the Bible, another the Qur'an, there will be war here. What I wanted to show is that it’s not right to do it,” he added.
