Swedish PM vows to tighten borders, blames ‘outsiders’ for Quran burning protests

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson vowed to introduce new measures to tighten border control as he claimed that the “outsiders” are exploiting the country’s freedom of express laws to stage Quran burning protests and spread “hate messages”.

Addressing the media in Stockholm on Tuesday (August 1), hours after two Iraqi men were allowed to set fire to Islam's holy book outside the Swedish parliament, Kristersson said such acts were “dragging Sweden into international conflicts”.

“As everyone knows, we have a complicated security situation both in and around Sweden,” Kristersson said, reports Politico.

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“We are in daily contact with the Swedish intelligence services at the moment. That’s how serious we think the situation is.”

A final decision on stringent border law will be made Thursday, Swedish broadcaster SVT reported.This new law is expected to give police expanded powers to conduct identity checks as well as vehicle and body searches at Sweden's borders.

Tighter screening at border

“People with very weak links to Sweden should not be able to come to Sweden to commit crimes,” Kristersson said, adding that electronic border surveillance will also be expanded.

The PM said that Swedish security experts have expressed concerns that such continued protests could trigger serious threats, "from individuals within the violent Islamist milieu."

For that reason, it is "extremely important" to stop those individuals perceived as threats from entering the country, Kristersson said.

Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer, who appeared alongside Kristersson, said, "Border controls are a measure that gives us the conditions to identify people coming into Sweden who could represent a threat to security."

Quran burning in Sweden: Freedom of expression taken too far?

Govt rules out changes to freedom of expression laws

While Stromme ruled out sweeping changes to hate speech laws, Kistersson said that the government was considering changes that would allow police to prevent Quran burnings if they posed a national security threat.

“We are drawn into conflicts in our countries where individuals have a legal right to speak,” Kristersson said.

Condemning the recent anti-Islam statements, Kristersson warned that people were using Sweden as a stage to spread hateful messages. “Not all that is legal to say is appropriate to say,” he said.

Sweden and Denmark have been braving serious diplomatic protests from the Islamic countries over allowing desecration and/or burning of holy book Quran.

Both countries said they were examining ways to legally limit such acts in a bid to de-escalate tensions.

The remarks come in response to a special session called by the Organisation of Islamic Council, representing 57 countries, on Monday where they condemned the burnings as “despicable acts of aggression” and calling on the UN to intervene.

In a 35-point action plan, the organisation called on the UN secretary general to appoint a special rapporteur on combatingIslamophobiaand urged all governments to fully implement existing laws or adopt new legislation if needed, citing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

(With inputs from agencies)

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