Malaysian Muslims take to streets to protest Koran burning in Sweden by far-right’s Rasmus Paludan

Name: Hundreds of Muslims in Malaysia protest against Koran burning in Sweden
Uploaded: 2023-01-27T09:30:19.000Z
Duration: 1 min 25 s
Description: Hundreds of Muslims in Malaysia protest against Koran burning in Sweden

Rasmus Paludan, a convicted Danish-Swedish racist who heads a Danish far-right party, burned copy of the Koran on January 21 in front of Turkey’s embassy in Sweden

Protesters gathered at Kuala Lumpur’s Swedish embassy, angry at Paludan’s stunt believed aimed at Turkey, amid fraught talks for Sweden to become Nato member

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A protest on Friday outside the Swedish embassy in Malaysia after Rasmus Paludan, the leader of a Danish far-right party, burned a copy of the Koran, the Muslim holy book, near the Turkish Embassy in Sweden on January 21. Photo: Reuters

Hadi Azmiin Kuala LumpurandResty Woro Yuniar

Published: 5:30pm, 27 Jan 2023Updated: 4:02pm, 28 Jan 2023

Sporadic protests hit the streets of Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur on Friday, as Muslims around the world reacted in outrage over the burning of the Koran last weekend by a far-right politician in Sweden.

Rasmus Paludan, a convicted Danish-Swedish racist who heads Danish far-right party Stram Kurs (Hard Line), burned a copy of the holy book on January 21 in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, in what has been condemned as an Islamophobia act by leaders of Muslim and Muslim-majority nations.

Sweden’s prime minister condemned and apologised for 41-year-old lawyer Paludan’s conduct and other officials also criticised his actions, which are legal under Swedish law.

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Hundreds of Muslims in Malaysia protest against Koran burning in Sweden

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday said Paludan’s stunt – which was ostensibly aimed at key Nato member Turkey – was a “grave provocation to the sensitivities” of the world’s population of over two billion Muslims.

Anwar urged Sweden’s government to take urgent measures against the perpetrators of the act and also “drastic steps in the future to address the alarming rise of Islamophobia” in the Nordic country.

Police in Kuala Lumpur estimated some 300 people gathered after Friday prayers for the rally organised by Islamist party PAS. Protesters marched from the popular tourist spot of the KL Twin Towers to the Swedish embassy, chanting “Allahuakbar” (God is great), amid heavy police presence throughout the route.

“If Muslims don’t take stern action, these hideous acts will repeat. We want to tell the Swedish people not to emulate that disrespectful action,” PAS MP Zulkifli Ismail told the crowd gathered at the embassy, using a megaphone while standing on the back of a pickup truck.

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