Muslims cry foul as Torah-burning stopped in Stockholm

ALBAWABA - The Israeli Embassy in Sweden prevented the burning of the Torah in front of its premises in Stockholm. 

Upon hearing there was to be a Torah burning, the embassy quickly mobilized efforts with the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which pressed the Swedish government to prevent the event last Thursday. 

Critics are livid, calling the Swedish government's act of putting pressure on the police to stop the protests and the Torah burning as double-standards. They argued that police failed to stop a rightwing protest in which the Muslim holy book, the Quran, was set ablaze in Stockholm on Jan. 21. 

Rasmus Paludan, a far-right Swedish-Danish politician, burned a copy of the Quran  outside the Turkish Embassy in the Nordic country under police protection and with permission from the authorities, Anadolu reported. 

The incident drew scathing attacks against the Swedish government, with many accusing the country of Islamophobia and hypocrisy. Despite the efforts by Turkey and other Arab countries to stop the burning, the Swedish authorities failed to respond, describing the move as part of the freedom of speech.