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Sweden and Denmark 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.
More Koran burnings took place on Monday and both countries said
they were examining ways to legally limit such acts in a bid to
de-escalate tensions.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the security situation in
Sweden was complex, not least because of its delayed accession
to NATO. The government would temporarily ramp up internal
security and border controls, giving police wider authority to
stop and search people, he said.
He also urged people to use the freedom of speech responsibly
and respectfully.
"In a free country like Sweden, you have a great deal of
freedom. But with that great degree of freedom comes a great
degree of responsibility," Kristersson told a news conference.
"Everything that is legal is not appropriate. It can be awful
but still lawful. We try to promote a respectful tone between
countries and peoples."
On Monday, the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
convened in an extraordinary session to discuss the recent
developments and strongly condemned the Koran burnings.
The organisation called upon member states to take appropriate
action, whether political or economic, in countries where the
Koran is being desecrated.
Kristersson said sweeping changes to the Swedish freedom of
speech laws were not on the table but the government was looking
into changes that would allow police to stop Koran burnings in
public if they were a threat to Sweden's security.
"We have completely different political systems (from some of
Sweden's critics), completely different views on human rights,
including freedom of speech," Kristersson said. "It is not the
case that Sweden is adapting itself in the light of other
countries' demands on Sweden. We are not."
(Reporting by Johan Ahlander and Simon Johnson in Stockholm and
Terje Solsvik in Oslo; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Bernadette
Baum)
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