Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: In Sweden, the Qur'an has emerged as a subject of unprecedented attention. The small country in the far north, often thought of as one of the most secularized in the world, engages in theological discussions on holiness and on what distinguishes a true Qur'an from a replica. In national newspapers and TV stations, the role of prophet Muhammed and theological interpretations of different Surahs are publicly discussed. The context is of course the public manifestations where the Qur'an—soft cover, often in Swedish or English translation—is set on fire. In a tension between freedom of speech and the Law against Incitement to Hatred, juridical and theological discussions take place. It is worth noting that very few individuals in Sweden endorse these manifestations. However, a significant, albeit shrinking, segment of the population remains adamant about preserving the current forms of freedom of speech and demonstration. In February 2023, a poll indicated that 43% of the Swedish population believed that public demonstrations involving the burning of holy books should be allowed. Just a few months later, in August 2023, that number had dwindled to 34%. It is essential to consider Sweden's potential NATO membership as part of this context. This evolving landscape has given rise to peculiar alliances. Religious extremists worldwide seize the opportunity to condemn liberal democracies and portray Scandinavian countries as morally bankrupt and untrustworthy, particularly in their treatment of Muslim populations. Their message to Scandinavian Muslims is unequivocal: You will never be fully accepted in this society. Simultaneously, far-right populist politicians endorse book burnings and welcome Muslim protests and even violence. Their message echoes the same sentiment: You will never be fully accepted in this society. It is evident that many of the demonstrations involving Qur'an burnings occur within an environment deeply hostile to Islam and its practitioners. However, the public discourse seems to lack the sensitivity and vocabulary to acknowledge this hostility. The argument put forth is that religions do not possess rights and are therefore subject to criticism and even hatred. While there is some truth to this argument, the question arises as to when criticism and denigration of a religious tradition cross a threshold and harm the minority adherents of that tradition. In this regard, a fundamental knowledge gap appears to exist, a gap that could be described as a lack of literacy. The concept of literacy has been widely applied in various contexts, such as political literacy, digital literacy, and theological literacy, among others. It encapsulates not only the ability to decode letters into words but also to understand symbols, references, and the broader contexts of a particular social practice. Applied to the context of Qur'an burnings, it requires knowledge and experience to comprehend situations in which a religious tradition and its followers are continually mocked and ridiculed. This capacity can arguably be labeled as a form of a literacy of religious hatred. While the term “Islamophobia” has been established for decades, references to it often spark pseudo-debates about its definition. Some argue that fear, at times rational due to Islamic extremism, should not be labeled as phobic. This debate reveals a lack of common knowledge about the definitions, examples, and strategies related to this kind of hostility and hatred. Or, to put it differently, there is no common literacy of this kind of hostility and hatred. An illustrative example of the lacking literacy took place in August 2023 when a seasoned Member of Parliament from the Swedish Liberal Party was asked if there were limits to what the party would tolerate from its right-wing coalition partner, the Swedish Democrats. The context for this question was a prominent Swedish Democrat characterizing Islam as “anti-democratic, violence-promoting, and misogynistic,” and Prophet Muhammad as a “warlord, mass murderer, slave trader, and robber.” The Liberals’ Member of Parliament responded: “I believe the limit is reached when they (the Swedish Democrats) would start speaking about Jews in the same way, and that's not impossible. But that's where the absolute limit is”. When being asked to clarify, the MP continued: “The Liberal Party cannot live with racist statements about, among other things, Muslims and Jews, and especially not about Jews”.1 This response sparked a heated debate on equality and different forms of racism, and the MP later expressed remorse, claiming that he did not mean what he had said. The statement deserved criticism and could obviously be interpreted as if not all humans were equal. Yet, it could also be seen as an example of the fact that Swedish society has a different kind of literacy when it comes to hatred against the Jewish people. Strong efforts in education, important blockbuster movies, popular books, and scrutinous journalism, combined with the dark shadows from the 20th century, have contributed to a different level of awareness, including the ability to recognize certain antisemitic images, tropes, and arguments. This literacy is positive, and something to wish for in other areas of religious hatred. Nonetheless, its scope should not be overestimated. First, it is a perishable quality, and continuous education and training is necessary to maintain a society's level of literacy. Moreover, as the Swedish Committee Against Antisemitism points out in a statement, the absolute limit that was mentioned by the Liberals' MP, has been crossed several times. Antisemitic hatred is also present in the public discourse in Sweden.2 Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of racism are interconnected and reinforce one another. The Swedish Committee Against Antisemitism underscores this connection by revealing the underlying context of Qur'an burnings, which includes conspiracy theories about an elite seeking to replace Swedish culture with radical Islam, Islamization where Swedes will become a minority, thus implying that Muslims can never be considered true Swedes.3 Some of these tropes are alarmingly familiar to Jews worldwide. While the public debate has primarily revolved around whether burning holy books in public should be permitted, it is crucial not to lose sight of the broader context of hostility and hatred in which these burnings occur. One example will suffice. On one occasion in Linköping, the Qur'an was burned on a grill alongside bacon, with the event filmed and music associated with the Christchurch Mosque attack playing in the background. Subsequently, the remains from the grill were placed near the entrance of a nearby mosque. Such acts may potentially qualify as incitement to hatred under Swedish law. Other manifestations may be less explicit. To comprehend these manifestations fully, it is insufficient to merely approach them through the lens of holy books and freedom of speech. Instead, a literacy is required that recognizes and contextualizes acts and symbols of hate and exclusion. This task extends beyond legislators and policymakers alone. As Church of Sweden Archbishop Martin Modéus aptly notes, “Poor judgment cannot be cured through legislation [and] proponents of hate are inventive. If one path becomes blocked, there is often another.”4 Developing this literacy is a responsibility that falls upon theologians, complemented by educators, writers, and a broader array of stakeholders, all working collaboratively to identify and challenge the tropes perpetuating hatred. Theology should take an active role when addressing the issue of hate against religious groups, as it is an important resource in fostering understanding and countering religious animosity. Jakob Wirén is adjuncted as professor of theology of religions at Lund University. He is a member of the Dialog editorial board and serves as theological advisor to the archbishop of the Church of Sweden. Among his recent books are Att ge plats för den andre? (Verbum 2021) and Hope and Otherness (Brill 2018).
Source: Dialog
DOI: 10.1111/dial.12826
Author: Jakob Wirén
Institution: Lund University
Language: English
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4387820069