I think it's stupid, moronic, and childish to burn Qur'ans and other associated acts of deliberate provocation, but (and this is admittedly the American in me speaking), I'd very strongly be against it being a crime. The ability to tolerate strong disagreements with your own closely held beliefs is a foundational pillar of a multi-cultural and tolerant society.

Countless acts of terror have been committed in the name of the Bible, and I'm rather uncomfortable with the idea of being legally obligated to have any amount of reverence to it.

[–] sarjalim@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (16 children)

Let's separate a hate crime (incitement against ethnic group) from blasphemy laws- we definitely do not want blasphemy laws in Sweden. Critique against religions is protected free speech, as it should be.

What isn't protected, is your right to protest in EVERY way at EVERY place and EVERY time. Just like defamation laws are a specific reduction to the right to free speech, one can morally argue that if the intention of certain speech is to defame, grossly disrespect, provoke and incite certain protected groups of people, a reduction to the right to free speech is justified in certain contexts. I know lots of people disagree, all I'm saying is that there's an argument for limiting free speech in some contexts (which we already do).

Feel free to have a Quran barbecue in your own back yard, but don't throw a bacon-and-Quran barbecue in front of a mosque during Eid. You are also, certainly, allowed to criticize Islam wherever and whenever you want, that is protected speech. It's just no longer protected when the context, manner and purpose of an action or message tips the scales from critique to incitement or hate speech.

An example of someone who actually was convicted of incitement against ethnic groups in Sweden in 2020, was a junior high school student who carved a swastika into a desk. If that is covered under the incitement law, burning the Quran in the recent contexts should be too imo (in front of embassies to Muslim countries, or mosques during the biggest Muslim holiday).

America is extreme in it's own right with regards to free speech laws compared to the rest of the Western world. I respect that position, but don't agree with it.

[–] amanneedsamaid@sopuli.xyz 5 points 1 year ago (7 children)

A school is not a public place, and so that isn't an equivalent example. If the sidewalk in front of the Masjid is a public area, you should legally be able to throw a bacon-and-Koran barbecue during Eid. There is no world where you can punish people for doing that and not end up on a slippery slope that jeopardizes freedom of expression.

I understand what you're saying, but to actually act on that and try to put it into law would be foolish.

[–] sarjalim@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

We already have that law, so the only thing up for debate is interpretation? Which legal experts are busy with debating now in public discourse in Swedish media, with no clear consensus except that it should be tried in court. I understand what you mean by slippery slope, but if everything is a slippery slope we would never be able to legislate anything. And let me remind you, both Sweden and the US have already imposed certain limits to the right to free speech. Defamation, for example, is not protected speech.

I disagree that a public school isn't a public place, but you're technically right. It doesn't really matter in the eyes of the Swedish law though, arguably it would be worse legally if the student had carved the swastika on a public playground outside, rather then in a semi-public spot in a school.

[–] amanneedsamaid@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My mistake, I thought he was proposing a change / new law. I personally just disagree with that law then, I don't think that creeds should be protected from hateful messages. Unless the messages amount to harassment or breaking another existing, more general law, I don't necessarily see the issue it's solving.

[–] sarjalim@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

No problem. It's good to have well reasoned, civilized debates- we don't have to agree at the end!

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