The Swedish Agency for Psychological Defense suggests in a new report that teaching students to respect Islam could be a way to prevent future Muslim riots. The report, written by terror expert Magnus Ranstorp and analyst Emmy Petterson Daniels, was commissioned by the government to analyze Quran burnings in the country along with connected riots and terrorist attacks.
The report concludes that Quran burnings in Sweden, notably by Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan and anti-Islamism activist Salwan Momika—who was shot dead in his apartment in January—were exploited by countries like Russia, China, and Iran to damage Sweden’s image and stir anger in the Muslim world.
Some of the narratives spread internationally in response to the Quran burnings were that Sweden is an ‘Islamophobic’ and intolerant society characterized by structural racism; that Quran burnings constitute ‘hate crimes’ protected by the state and symbolic of the moral decay of the West, and that “freedom of expression is not applied neutrally, but rather selectively and misused to protect certain expressions and groups—while insults against Islam are justified and Muslims’ right to protection from hate and threats is ignored.”
“What began as local provocations quickly escalated into international tensions, resulting in diplomatic conflicts, attacks on Swedish interests abroad, and an increased terror threat level against Sweden,” the analysts write.
To prevent similar incidents, the report recommends establishing local interfaith “dialog forums” to “catch worries and needs” in the Muslim community, as well as using schools for “educational efforts,” teaching students that with freedom of expression comes an “ethical responsibility” that requires “social awareness”:
An important part of this training should be to highlight the handling of freedom of expression and actions that are perceived as deeply offensive to religious groups … In this way, schools can help young people develop both their legal understanding and their empathetic ability in their encounter with the pluralistic society of which they themselves are a part.
In addition to regular instruction, it is proposed that schools initiate workshops, role-playing activities, and student-led discussions that explore various perspectives on religion, belief, freedom of expression, and respect. Such an approach strengthens students’ democratic competence.
It also suggests using existing legislation to prosecute those who burn the Quran for “incitement against a group of people” or sedition.
Additionally, it urges the government to improve communication in languages like Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, Urdu, and Russian to counter disinformation from foreign actors.
In other words, it is the native Swedes that should be educated and trained to behave differently—not the Muslims that caused violent riots, in Sweden an across the globe, in reaction to the burning of a book they view as holy.
