Western Duality: Burning the Quran vs. Burning the LGBT Flag

Following the burning of a copy of the Holy Quran by an extremist at the Stockholm Central Mosque in Sweden after Eid al-Adha prayers, many international responses were issued attacking this hateful act.

Saudi Arabia stressed that “these hateful and repeated acts cannot be accepted with any justifications, and they clearly incite hatred, exclusion, and racism.”

On a public and wide scale worldwide, condemnation and denunciation continued to escalate at the official and popular levels around the world, leading to demands for measures against Sweden in general, such as boycotts and severing relations.

At the level of the perpetrator, the demand for his arrest and trial for his work certainly went outside the context of freedom of expression and was based on provocation and incitement to hate speech and racism, citing the freedom of the Swedish constitution, which was described as contradictory.

But an interesting part of the social media controversy was what activists called a contradiction and duality of dealing with free speech, contrasting the cases between burning the Quran and burning the LGBT flag.

Activists recalled an incident in 2019 when a U.S. judge handed down a sentence of at least 15 years to a man who stole an LGBT pride flag from a church and burned it outside a strip club.

 

Non-Freedom of Expression

A Swedish think tank has criticized the double standards of freedom of expression in Western societies, comparing it to a sacred scripture that cannot be burned.

The Swedish Center for Information (SCI) argued in an article that freedom of expression, which was once a liberating force against the tyranny of the church, has become a new dogma that imposes secular values on society and silences dissenting voices.

The article cited the recent incidents of burning copies of the Quran in Sweden, which sparked outrage among Muslims and questions on social media about whether other symbols, such as the rainbow flag of the LGBTQ community or the Torah, the Jewish holy book, could be burned as well.

The article claimed that Swedish law and politicians would not tolerate such acts, as they would be considered hate crimes or anti-Semitism, while burning a copy of the Quran or the Bible, the Christian holy book, would be protected as freedom of expression.

Speaking to Al-Estiklal, sociologist Ramazan Oglu said that the freedom of expression in Sweden and Europe is selective and biased, favoring secularism and atheism over other beliefs and values.

Oglu gave examples of how expressing rejection of homosexuality or chastity could be seen as hateful or oppressive, while promoting them could be seen as progressive and humanistic.

He also pointed out how burning sacred books could be treated differently depending on their religious affiliation and political implications.

Oglu concluded by saying that there is no such thing as absolute freedom in any human society throughout history, even in the West; “the freedom of expression is only granted to those who define it for themselves and deny it to others.”

He said that secularism and atheism are the ones who dictate what is acceptable and what is not in Western society, while granting themselves complete freedom.

 

Responses

Meanwhile, in Iraq, thousands of members of the Sadrist movement demonstrated in various districts of Basra after Friday prayers to denounce the crime of burning a copy of the Holy Quran, raising slogans condemning this shameful act.

In an unprecedented display of outrage, supporters of the Sadrist movement took over the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, protesting against the recent desecration of a copy of the Holy Quran outside the Great Mosque in Sweden.

Responding to the call from Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Sadrist movement, demonstrators gathered at the embassy shortly after he demanded the burning of the gay flag and the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador from Iraq.

Chanting slogans denouncing the sacrilege committed against the Holy Quran, the protesters urged the government to take decisive action in response to this offense. Following their storming of the building, the demonstrators eventually withdrew.

They passionately voiced their opposition, angrily decrying the insult inflicted upon the revered religious text and the sentiments of Muslims worldwide.

During the protests, the so-called “gay flag” was also set ablaze, with the demonstrators demanding a strong stance against the Swedish government for sponsoring and protecting such acts.

The incident gained further traction through social media, as a video circulated featuring Lauren Fox, a far-right figure from the Reform Party and former London mayoral candidate, burning a gay flag while exclaiming, “Goodbye… This is not a month of pride.”

Fox’s act, which came in direct opposition to the United States and the West’s recognition of this month as a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, drew criticism. In response, Fox stated, “This is not a month of pride, it is a celebration of the mutilation of our children.”

The burning of the gay flag by a prominent British politician such as Lauren Fox sparked widespread reactions, particularly due to the fact that it was the first instance of such an act by a political leader in the West, openly challenging the solidarity Western societies have shown towards homosexuality.

With the words, “Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, goodbye Pride, which isn’t Pride. It’s just a celebration of the mutilation of children. And you can shove it,” Fox, known for his acting background, ignited the flag at his home on Father’s Day.