Burning the Quran in Norway, Sweden - Racism and Islamophobia Rampant in Europe

[Iron]

Recently a right-wing group in Norway held a Quran-burning ceremony. It was followed by a wave of protests by local Muslims outraged at the act.

Norway: Clashes break out at anti-Islam rally – DW – 08/29/2020

Tensions in the Norwegian capital came to a head when an anti-Islam protester ripped pages from the Quran. Police used tear gas to keep rival groups separated, arresting nearly 30 people.

www.dw.com

Norwegien MP defends the act, calling it 'freedom of speech'.

Norwegian PM defends ripping of Quran pages as 'freedom of speech'

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg on Monday defended freedom of speech in her country after an anti-Islam rally took place this weekend where pages...

www.dailysabah.com

This is the group, SIAN.

Stop Islamisation of Norway - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This is a video of the act:

This comes on the heels of a similar event happening in Malmo, Sweden. DANISH anti-immigration group burn quran in Sweden.

Riots in Sweden after far-right activists burn copy of Quran

Unrest in Malmo city after copy of Muslim holy book is burned during a far-right rally in a mainly immigrant district.

www.aljazeera.com

These are the protests following the desecration of the holy Quran:

Denmark is far more hostile to Muslims:

Denmark’s ‘anti-ghetto’ laws are a betrayal of our tolerant values | Michala Bendixen

From a niqab clampdown to circumcision debates, my country is becoming explicitly Islamophobic, says Michala Bendixen, head of Refugees Welcome Denmark

www.theguardian.com

Stop Islamisation of Denmark - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

A Danish cartoonist drew pictures mocking Muhammad (PBUH):

Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Why are the Nordic countries so racist and islamophobic?

Recently Arab Party in Sweden bravely stand up to Racism and Islamophobia in Sweden. If you are racist and don't accept diversity you can cancel your Swedish citizenship and leave the country.

Sweden’s new Arab Party vows to ‘take responsibility for its people,’ denies plans to ‘Arabize’ Scandanavian country

Sweden’s new Arab Party, established to champion the rights of the country’s Arab population, has vowed to assist integration “and protect the rights of Arabs” while denying any claims it might “Arabize Sweden.”

www.rt.com

Nordics are not the only Problem. Europe is deeply anti-Islam. It is due to its history of colonial exploitation of the Islamic world. The UK for example is very racist towards Muslims.

692% Rise In UK Islamophobic Incidents After Christchurch Shooting – Report

The number of anti-Muslim incidents reported in the UK increased by almost seven times in the week following a far-Right terror attack on a New Zealand mosque, new figures reveal.

eachother.org.uk

Opinion: Britain has left Islamophobia to fester – I've never seen it this bad in my life

It’s chilling to live under a prime minister who seems to me to be complicit in spurring hate against Muslims, minority groups and people of colour

www.independent.co.uk

British also desecrate the holy Quran:

British Man Arrested For Allegedly Ripping Apart A Copy Of The Qu'ran With His Teeth And Burning It

The man is said to have had death threats.

www.businessinsider.com

Koran-burning plan condemned at London mosque

About 11,000 people at a mosque in London are told a pastor's postponed plans to burn the Koran are a case of "hatred being spread".

www.bbc.com

It could be a deeper issue, something related to the Crusading legends of the Europeans and their bloody history of conquest against Islam.

So, what is there to do with these Islamophobic attacks against innocent Muslims in Norway and Sweden? How can we stop racism against them?

 

[Hawki]

Burning the Koran?

Oh the horror. How will we cope when you can print millions more of the bloody thing?

Nordics are not the only Problem. Europe is deeply anti-Islam. It is due to its history of colonial exploitation of the Islamic world.

Islam invaded Europe (and North Africa and Asia) long before the crusades (and long afterwards). Muslims were in on the whole colonization game long before Christians, the Christians just happened to be better at it.

So, what is there to do with these Islamophobic attacks against innocent Muslims in Norway and Sweden? How can we stop racism against them?

Dunno, but burning the Koran and drawing Muhammad aren't attacks. Not in any meaningful sense of the word.

To borrow a phrase, no person is below dignity, and no idea is above scrutiny.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Muslims were in on the whole colonization game long before Christians, the Christians just happened to be better at it.

Surely Christians were at it before Islam existed?

Or the Romans were at it for ages and the Christians made them add crosses to it when they became the official religion, if you prefer.

 

[Iron]

Burning the Koran?

Oh the horror. How will we cope when you can print millions more of the bloody thing?



Islam invaded Europe (and North Africa and Asia) long before the crusades (and long afterwards). Muslims were in on the whole colonization game long before Christians, the Christians just happened to be better at it.



Dunno, but burning the Koran and drawing Muhammad aren't attacks. Not in any meaningful sense of the word.

To borrow a phrase, no person is below dignity, and no idea is above scrutiny.

It is a symbol of HATE, RACISM and ISLAMOPHOBIA.
Danish Racists in Malmo:
It's a provocation against all Muslims and spitting in their faces. Images of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) are forbidden, it is haram, a grievous insult to all Muslim.

Why images of Mohammed offend Muslims | CNN

Prohibitions against depicting the Prophet Mohammed may mystify many non-Muslims, but it speaks to a central tenet of Islam: the worship of God alone.

edition.cnn.com

 

[Agema]

It could be a deeper issue, something related to the Crusading legends of the Europeans and their bloody history of conquest against Islam.

Decline of the Byzantine Empire - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Muslim conquest of the Iberian Peninsula - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Hungarian–Ottoman Wars - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Islamization of the Sudan region - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Up to about 1600, Islamic states had a far better record of invading Christian territory than vice versa.

* * *

That said, I'm strongly against burning Korans, Bibles, etc. That's not really a striking a blow for free speech, it's just being a massively antagonistic prick.

 

[Buyetyen]

That said, I'm strongly against burning Korans, Bibles, etc. That's not really a striking a blow for free speech, it's just being a massively antagonistic prick.

Pretty much my thoughts. There's a difference between free speech and just being an asshole.

 

[Hawki]

Surely Christians were at it before Islam existed?

Or the Romans were at it for ages and the Christians made them add crosses to it when they became the official religion, if you prefer.

Romans persecuted Christians before the Empire itself Christianized.

It is a symbol of HATE, RACISM and ISLAMOPHOBIA.

What's "it?"

It's a provocation against all Muslims and spitting in their faces. Images of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) are forbidden, it is haram, a grievous insult to all Muslim.

...and?

I know it's offensive to Muslims, what's your point? Religions and their religious figureheads are insulted all the time.

That said, I'm strongly against burning Korans, Bibles, etc. That's not really a striking a blow for free speech, it's just being a massively antagonistic prick.

Charlie Hebdo shooting - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I have no personal desire to burn religious texts, but I don't care how insulted you (not you personally) are, no level of insult justifies murder. And that goes for all religions.

So let's look at what's going on at Malmo. Someone burns a Koran, and people riot. And I'm supposed to feel sorry for the rioters?

 

[Casual Shinji]

Aah, book burning... always a sign of society's progress.

I mean, I'm not a fan of Islam myself, and I look forward to the day when headscarves and (female) circumcisions are a thing of the past, but then I'm not a fan of any of this stuff regardless of what religion it's tied to.

 

[09philj]

Charlie Hebdo shooting - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I have no personal desire to burn religious texts, but I don't care how insulted you (not you personally) are, no level of insult justifies murder. And that goes for all religions.
So let's look at what's going on at Malmo. Someone burns a Koran, and people riot. And I'm supposed to feel sorry for the rioters?

Here I'll defer to Joe Sacco:

Spoiler

 

[Hawki]

Here I'll defer to Joe Sacco:

And I'll defer to Owen Harris:

 

[Gordon_4]

Muslims in Western countries really needs to calm down about obvious troll bait - which is what shit like this is. They're idiots looking for a reaction, stop obliging them.

 

[deleted20220709]

DELETED

 

[Silvanus]

And I'll defer to Owen Harris:

You seem to have missed that part of the point of the sketch is that John is an enormous asshole there.

So let's look at what's going on at Malmo. Someone burns a Koran, and people riot. And I'm supposed to feel sorry for the rioters?

No, you're not meant to feel sorry for anybody, and that's a bit of a trite take. You're supposed to recognise that when people hold rallies explicitly about how much they hate specific demographic groups, it echoes the very worst period of European history.

On a side-note, burning a book is blatantly not an act in defence of freedom of speech. It's pretty much the exact opposite: suppression of the expression of others.

 

[Iron]

Aah, book burning... always a sign of society's progress.

I mean, I'm not a fan of Islam myself, and I look forward to the day when headscarves and (female) circumcisions are a thing of the past, but then I'm not a fan of any of this stuff regardless of what religion it's tied to.

Female genital mutilation isn't related to Islam. It's a cultural aspect of many tribes in east Africa.

Muslims in Western countries really needs to calm down about obvious troll bait - which is what shit like this is. They're idiots looking for a reaction, stop obliging them.

Don't you have anything you hold dear? Can't you understand them?

Romans persecuted Christians before the Empire itself Christianized.



What's "it?"



...and?

I know it's offensive to Muslims, what's your point? Religions and their religious figureheads are insulted all the time.

Charlie Hebdo shooting - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I have no personal desire to burn religious texts, but I don't care how insulted you (not you personally) are, no level of insult justifies murder. And that goes for all religions.

So let's look at what's going on at Malmo. Someone burns a Koran, and people riot. And I'm supposed to feel sorry for the rioters?

"it" is the constant attacks against Muslims in Europe, quran burning among them. Not to mention how colonialist whites slaughter innocent Muslims in their place of prayer like in New Zealand.

 

[09philj]

And I'll defer to Owen Harris:

To which I can ask, why do you need to offend people? What's so great about making people upset? Is there any actual point to making those people feel belittled or threatened? Are you doing something to make people think, or just performing to the court in exchange for a pat on the head? Who actually benefits from your irreverence? I really like the sketch from Chris Morris's show Jam where a man commits suicide by repeatedly throwing himself from a first floor balcony, shall I put that on next time I've got a friend who's survived a suicide attempt round?

 

[Hawki]

You seem to have missed that part of the point of the sketch is that John is an enormous asshole there.

I disagree that's the point. And even if it was, is he wrong?

Again, another clip:


Either religion is open to criticism and ridicule, or it isn't.

Don't you have anything you hold dear? Can't you understand them?

There's plenty of stuff that I hold dear. None of it would compel me to murder. Certainly not a book.

"it" is the constant attacks against Muslims in Europe, quran burning among them.

November 2015 Paris attacks - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I don't doubt there's Muslims in Europe that have suffered from Islamophobia. But that pales in comparison to actual persecution.

Not to mention how colonialist whites slaughter innocent Muslims in their place of prayer like in New Zealand.

2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Which caused Muslims to slaughter Christians in Sri Lanka.

I can condemn both. Would you?

 

[Hawki]

To which I can ask, why do you need to offend people? What's so great about making people upset? Is there any actual point to making those people feel belittled or threatened?

I don't feel a need. But people are belittled all the time. Sometimes it's in good humour, sometimes it's in bad humour. What counts as good or bad is debatable, but I don't believe that religion should be given a free pass from ridicule.


This is Bill Maher insulting Christians. Being an atheist myself, I'm absolutely fine with that. But the world doesn't get to pick and choose between which religions people can be critiqued and/or insulted, and which can't. Either all religion is open to this, or none of them are.

 

[Iron]

I don't feel a need. But people are belittled all the time. Sometimes it's in good humour, sometimes it's in bad humour. What counts as good or bad is debatable, but I don't believe that religion should be given a free pass from ridicule.


This is Bill Maher insulting Christians. Being an atheist myself, I'm absolutely fine with that. But the world doesn't get to pick and choose between which religions people can be critiqued and/or insulted, and which can't. Either all religion is open to this, or none of them are.

" Either all religion is open to this, or none of them are. "
Show me them mocking Judaism with the same zeal. Or at all.

 

[Hawki]

" Either all religion is open to this, or none of them are. "
Show me them mocking Judaism with the same zeal. Or at all.

 

[Silvanus]

I disagree that's the point. And even if it was, is he wrong?

About some things, yes: the guy across the table says they didn't intend to be offensive "just for the sake of it", and then John goes off on a rant about how being offensive is fine. Well, yes, but the "for the sake of it" bit is clearly important. If you're doing it solely to insult specific demographics of people, then yeah, there's something wrong with it.

Again, another clip:

In which John makes the argument that criticism of Islam is misdirected & lacking perspective in the modern UK?

There's plenty of stuff that I hold dear. None of it would compel me to murder. Certainly not a book.

Yes, but nobody is defending murder, are they?