Swedish court sentences activist to prison for insult of Muslims

Nov 6

Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Jack Henry (Video Editor)

A Swedish court has sentenced Danish activist Rasmus Paludan to four months in prison for making offensive remarks about Muslims and Arabs, as well as for burning copies of the Quran, Islam’s holy book, on multiple occasions. His actions sparked outrage among Muslims, though burning religious texts is permitted under Swedish law.

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Paludan, leader of the Danish political party Stram Kurs and a citizen of both Sweden and Denmark, held a political rally in the Swedish city of Malmö in 2022, where he made lewd comments about Islam and Muslims.

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This week, a Swedish court convicted Paludan for incitement against an ethnic group and one instance of insult. Under the Swedish Penal Code, an “insult” is defined as vilifying another person with an insulting epithet or accusation.

The judge presiding over the case stated that Paludan’s actions went beyond criticism of Muslims and the Islamic faith.

The judgment said Paludan “expressed disrespect for a people group or other such group of people with allusions to creed, national origin, or ethnic origin by putting bacon in and around a Quran and then setting fire to, kicking, and spitting on the Quran.”

Last month, the chair of the court stated, “It is permitted to publicly make critical statements about, for example, Islam and also about Muslims, but the disrespect of a group of people must not clearly cross the line for a factual and valid discussion.”

Paludan has denied the charges and is expected to appeal the court’s decision.

Tags: Books, Hate Crime, Hate speech, Muslim, Sweden

[Lauren Taylor]

A SWEDISH COURT SENTENCE A DANISH ACTIVIST TO FOUR MONTHS IN PRISON FOR SAYING OFFENSIVE WORDS ABOUT MUSLIMS AND ARABS AND BURNING A COPIES OF THE QUR’AN, ISLAM’S HOLY BOOK, ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. HIS ACTIONS CAUSING OUTRAGE AMONG MUSLIMS, HOWEVER, BURNING RELIGIOUS TEXTS IS PERMITTED UNDER SWEDISH LAW.

RASMUS PALUDAN, LEADER OF THE DANISH POLITICAL PARTY STRAM HURS, WHO’S A CITIZEN OF BOTH SWEDEN AND DENMARK, HELD A POLITICAL RALLY IN THE SWEDISH CITY OF MALMO IN 2022 WHERE HE MADE LEWD REMARKS ABOUT ISLAM AND MUSLIMS.

A SWEDISH COURT SENTENCED PALUDAN THIS WEEK FOR INCITEMENT AGAINST AN ETHNIC GROUP AND ONE CASE OF INSULT.

ACCORDING TO SWEDISH PENAL CODE, LEGALLY, INSULT IS A PERSON WHO VILIFIES ANOTHER BY AN INSULTING EPITHET OR ACCUSATION.

THE JUDGE PRESIDING OVER THE CASE SAID PALUDAN’S ACTIONS WENT BEYOND CRITICISM OF MUSLIMS AND THE ISLAMIC FAITH.

THE JUDGMENT STATED PALUDAN “EXPRESSED DISRESPECT FOR A PEOPLE GROUP OR OTHER SUCH GROUP OF PEOPLE WITH ALLUSIONS TO CREED, NATIONAL ORIGIN OR ETHNIC ORIGIN BY PUTTING BACON IN AND AROUND A QUR’AN AND THEN SETTING FIRE TO, KICKING AND SPITTING ON THE QUR’AN.”

LAST MONTH, THE CHAIR OF THE COURT, SAID: “IT IS PERMITTED TO PUBLICLY MAKE CRITICAL STATEMENTS ABOUT, FOR EXAMPLE, ISLAM AND ALSO ABOUT MUSLIMS, BUT THE DISRESPECT OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE MUST NOT CLEARLY CROSS THE LINE FOR A FACTUAL AND VALID DISCUSSION.”

PALUDAN DENIED THE CHARGES AND IS EXPECTED TO APPEAL THE DECISION.