Quran burning: Seeking foolish fame or a far-reaching provocation? Expert opinions on Caliber.Az

The Quran-burning act was carried out by Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Danish far-right party Stram Kurs (Hard Line), in front of the Turkish embassy in Copenhagen. On his Instagram, Paludan claimed he did so in memory of Salwan Momika, the Iraqi-born activist who had repeatedly burned the Quran in Sweden and was fatally shot during a live TikTok broadcast in a Stockholm suburb.

Paludan stated that Danish police had denied him permission to hold a rally in support of Momika. This was not his first such act—he had previously burned the Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Sweden and the Russian embassy in Denmark.

In 2023, Denmark introduced legislation banning the burning of the Quran and other religious texts. Those who “improperly handle” such texts now face fines or up to two years in prison.

Nevertheless, similar incidents have repeatedly occurred in Sweden and Denmark over the past few years, often under police protection. The exact motives of the organisers remain unclear, but one thing is clear—these actions can lead to nothing good. This is especially true given that a significant percentage of the population in Northern European countries consists of refugees and immigrants, many of whom are Muslims. Why, then, deliberately escalate interreligious tensions within one’s own country?

Moreover, such incidents will further damage Denmark’s reputation in many Muslim-majority countries, negatively impacting all forms of interstate relations. The disadvantages for Denmark are obvious.

On the surface, everything seems clear, and yet these events continue to unfold. Why? For what purpose? Could this barbarity serve the interests of certain political forces in the West? And if so, to what end?

Prominent international experts shared their views on this issue with Caliber.Az.

Dr Greg Simons, a political scientist and PhD from Sweden, believes that individuals engaging in such actions do so for publicity and recognition.

"They seek to exploit the growing anti-immigrant sentiment in Denmark and Sweden. They abuse legal permissiveness under the pretext of freedom of speech and expression, while their real goal is to sow discord and incite violence. After all, it is only in an atmosphere of chaos and conflict that such politicians can maximise their influence.

They deliberately provoke Muslims, aiming to anger them and elicit an emotional response. If such a response follows, they claim it is disproportionate to their actions and contradicts ‘national values,’ using this as a pretext to tighten immigration policies—especially against those of Muslim background.

In short, this is cheap theatrical politics driven by individuals seeking public attention, believing it will enhance their influence and lead them to power. They are, to put it mildly, diplomatically ruthless opportunists,” Simons concluded.

The Director of the Centre for Middle East Studies in Kyiv, Ihor Semyvolos, emphasises that we tend to analyse events based on their rationale, logic, or motivation—expecting at least some discernible cause-and-effect relationships.

"As it stands, there seems to be a growing number of people among us who, in their quest to realise their views of the world—even the most backward ones—act without regard for the consequences. We could, of course, build an entire conspiracy theory around this, or we could simply view this or similar actions as manifestations of idiocy, narcissism, and political exhibitionism.

Who would have remembered the name of this individual if not for their demonstrative behaviour? It's the easiest way to attract attention and bask in the glow of even foolish fame. It’s nearly a foolproof strategy—there are enough people who will notice, spread it worldwide, especially since no real effort is needed. Human vanity at its finest," said Semyvolos.