Swedish Academic Rejects Quran Desecration as ‘Uncalled-For Provocation'
The diplomatic relations between Denmark and Sweden and some Islamic countries are in jeopardy after a series of incidents involving the desecration of Islamic religious symbols, including the Quran, in the Nordic countries. The incidents, which occurred in recent weeks, have sparked outrage and condemnation from many Muslims around the world.
Some Islamic countries have threatened to impose sanctions and cut diplomatic ties with the Nordic countries unless they stop the disrespectful actions, which they consider an insult to their faith and values. Stockholm and Copenhagen have also slammed the acts, while also trying to justify the incidents as an exercise of freedom of speech that they say is a fundamental right in their societies.
The controversy has also revived the debate on how to balance freedom of speech and religious sensitivity, especially in a context of increasing diversity and multiculturalism. How should the Nordic countries deal with the issue of Quran desecration? And how should Muslims react?
To shed some light on these questions, IQNA has interviewed Philip Halldén, a lecturer at Stockholm University, Department of Ethnology and History of Religions.
Most people in Sweden avoid offending others and view such affronts as “simply unwanted, unnecessary, and excessive”, he stressed, adding, “I think everyone should at least think twice on a personal level before engaging in uncalled-for provocations as well as losing his head and turning to violent reactions. It’s rather a question of the individual’s responsibility towards the common good”.
What follows is the full text of the interview:
IQNA: Over the past month, the Holy Quran has been subject to acts of desecration multiple times in Sweden and Denmark. What is your take on these acts?
Halldén: To me, as a social scientist specializing in the history of religions, these acts of public desecration, as well as the reactions they cause and the debate that always follows, are first and foremost objects of study as they reveal important facts about our societies, including multicultural societies, and relations between different societies on the international level in an era of digital communication by which we are all instantly connected. The recent cases may also remind us of the “Clash of Civilizations”-thesis once presented by Samuel P. Huntington in the 1990s.
Muslims in general may have little knowledge of the historical background of current attitudes towards religion and freedom of expression in Sweden and other European countries. The religious wars in the 17th century, at a time in history, when Sweden was one of the great powers in Europe, promoting the orthodoxy of the then dominant and intolerant Lutheran church, was one significant historical watershed with far-reaching, successive consequences. That period in history was followed by developments in many parts of Europe whereby the power of the established Christian churches and religious authorities were successively questioned and ultimately more or less “dethroned”. During the 20th century, Sweden went through a pervasive process of modernization and secularization, one consequence of which was that religion was no longer taken as seriously as before in public life while, at the same time, other denominations besides the established Lutheran church was increasingly tolerated. Today, Sweden has one of the world’s strongest legal protections for freedom of expression as well as freedom of religion, to be enjoyed by Muslims as well as others. If it weren’t for these historical transformations, faiths other than Lutheran Christianity would perhaps not be tolerated at all in Sweden.
It’s important to realize that the current legislation on freedom of religion also includes the individual’s freedom of not adhering to any particular faith or religious beliefs at all. Freedom of religion thus also includes the alternative of freedom from religion for every individual citizen. Most people in countries like Sweden and Denmark do not really define themselves in terms of religious belonging. Religion does not constitute the primary identity of most people in this part of the world, although immigration from Muslim countries in recent decades has had the consequence of making religious identity more of an issue, albeit in a new way, different from the situation in previous centuries when Sweden was a homogenous society, dominated by the Lutheran church.
IQNA: How can we help promote interfaith respect and peaceful coexistence among followers of various faiths?
Halldén: To promote interfaith respect and peaceful coexistence among followers of various faiths is always easier said than done, and it would be very difficult to please all constituents. Sometimes you just have to accept the fact that people have incompatible views and try to live with it. Muslims in Scandinavia of course have the right to protest and express their concerns.
While I do not personally sympathize with public desecrations of scriptures, my view is that politicians and officials cannot interfere, although people may of course try to influence opinions and promote mutual respect between adherents of various beliefs and customs. In Sweden, there are currently no laws against blasphemy, as there used to be in the past. The last remnants of such laws were scrapped in the 1970s. At about the same time, however, the legislation was tightened against discrimination and instigation against minority groups, defined by ethnicity, religion, political beliefs etc. Some of the recent cases of public desecration of the Quran in Sweden are actually being investigated by authorities as such potential acts, and some of them may suffer legal consequences if proven and defined as such in court. In this sense, there might be a way forward for those who would like to see legal actions taken against public desecrations of holy scriptures and religious symbols, although such efforts are very controversial in Sweden and Denmark.
Many Scandinavians would not characterize themselves as Christians or Muslims or Jews. Some of us hold beliefs and follow practices that would perhaps rather be characterized as “pagan” (the old Norse religion, for instance). Others are self-styled atheists or agnostics while many others, if not most, are lukewarm “Christians” who seldom go to church and do not really believe in Christian tenets. Such attitudes and behaviors are not generally frowned upon in Scandinavian countries today. Religious beliefs are normally seen as something very personal and private. It’s normal and up to every individual to be as religious or non-religious as he or she likes, as long as this is not hindering other individuals’ rights and freedoms.
As for ways to promote peaceful coexistence and interfaith respect, I think this is primarily a matter for the clergy and other official representatives of religions rather than for politicians and state officials. As already said, such endeavors are not always easy to implement, and sometimes you just have to accept the fact that people have incompatible views and customs without resorting to violence or provocations. I think everyone should at least think twice on a personal level before engaging in uncalled-for provocations as well as losing their head and turning to violent reactions. It’s rather a question of the individual’s responsibility towards the common good.
IQNA: Who or what group do you think is behind the affronts? Or who or what group benefits from them?
Halldén: One should not simply jump to the conclusion that Swedes have become more “Islamophobic” or “racist” in general. Even if the majority of the indigenous populations in Scandinavia are not Muslims, few would engage in public desecrations of the Quran or condone such acts. Most people stay away from offending others and view such affronts as, for instance, the recent public desecrations of the Quran as simply unwanted, unnecessary and excessive. It should be said that it’s not Swedish society as a whole, or Sweden as a nation, who is behind the affronts, but a few individuals. And in some cases, they are not even Swedish nationals. I can only speculate who would benefit from them, and I believe it varies from case to case.
IQNA: Swedish and Danish officials have deplored the desecration of the Quran, saying, however, that they cannot prevent it under constitutional laws protecting freedom of speech. What are your thoughts on this?
Halldén: Of course, officials have to make such statements in trying to come to terms with a real diplomatic crisis with potentially severe consequences for our countries, domestically as well as internationally. That being said, I do believe such statements from leading officials to be honest and deeply felt on a personal level for some. Leading politicians, officials, and opinion formers may try their best to persuade people to behave responsibly and to promote reciprocal respect among representatives of different faiths, beliefs and commitments. But officials cannot just prohibit certain acts by force or by sudden measures.
Quite obviously there are misconceptions and a certain lack of understanding among Muslims on how the political and juridical systems in Sweden and Denmark work and what leading politicians and officials can do or, rather, cannot do to prevent “blasphemous” acts. The kind of public desecrations of the Quran we have witnessed recently were most certainly not intended or foreseen by the legislators originally. The officials’ hands are thus tied by the rule of law. Only in very special circumstances authorities may introduce certain restrictions temporarily, for instance in situations where there is a serious threat to public order and national security, but such measures would be very controversial and difficult. As a matter of fact, the possibility of such measures is currently on the agenda in Sweden due to recent incidents and developments. We will see what happens next.
The views and opinions expressed in this interview are solely those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the view of the International Quran News Agency.
