How has Islamophobia in Sweden led to violent protests?

In Malmo, hundreds of people have taken to the streets to show their anger against the far right Danish party ‘Stram Kurs’ (Hard Line). The leader of the group, Rasmus Paludan, and his party is against immigration - which consequently led to the leader burning a copy of the Holy Quran, an act which has drawn international condemnation.

The History

The riots took place on the night of August 28th wherein rioters were captured on video setting fires and throwing objects at law enforcement officers. Many people at the protests were detained due to the aggressive violence taking place. Moreover, the Islamaphobic acts done by the party's leader, Rasmus Paludan, has caused the authorities in Sweden to take action.

Rasmus Paludan has already been convicted of spreading hatred towards various ethnic groups within the regions and has also come into light for making Islamaphic remarks through Youtube such as burning the Islamic holy book, sometimes also wrapped in bacon. Additionally, although Rasmus has continued to justify his actions as a disguise of ‘free speech’, it is clear that his acts have been blatant in attempting to incite violence and discriminate against minorities. Earlier this year, he was sentenced to three months of jail time and being barred from the practise of law after an anti-Islam video started circulating on social media.

The Opinions

Although the group has many followers, hundreds of angry citizens in Sweden took to the streets in Malmo and chanted “Allah hu Akbar” as well as setting tyres on fire in order to show their solidarity on the issue.

Officials in a statement have said that they are trying to restore the law and bring order to the situation in Malmo. Moreover, a police spokesperson, Calle Persson, quoted saying “We don’t have this under control but we are working actively to take control. We see a connection between what is happening now and what happened earlier today.”

The conclusion

The avid hatred against muslims within Sweden has caused an outrage amongst people - and Rasmus’s behavior clearly highlights the deep anger and misunderstanding that millions of muslims face today.

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