OSLO (Reuters) – The Swedish government said on Tuesday it would present measures to protect its citizens amid growing concerns in both Sweden and Denmark that the Koran burning crisis could lead to attacks.
The two countries have seen a string of protests in recent weeks in which copies of the Koran were burned, or otherwise damaged, prompting outrage in Muslim countries and demands that the Nordic governments put a stop to the burnings.
Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Justice Minister Gunnar Stromer will on Tuesday hold a press conference to discuss the security situation and present “measures to protect Swedish citizens”, the government said without providing detail.
More Koran burnings, permitted under freedom of speech laws, took place on Monday as the governments of both countries said they were examining ways to legally limit such acts in a bid to de-escalate tensions.
In Denmark, the Police Security and Intelligence Service (PET) believes the Koran burnings have led to an elevated risk of attacks, PET late on Monday told public broadcaster DR.
Also on Monday, the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened in an extraordinary session to discuss the recent developments where it strongly condemned the Koran burnings.
It also said in a statement after the meeting ended that it called upon member states to take appropriate action, whether political or economic, in countries where the Koran is being desecrated.
After the meeting, the Danish and Swedish foreign ministers separately wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that they would continue their dialogue with the OIC.
(Reporting by Terje Solsvik; Editing by Lincoln Feast)
