In an attempt to treat all religions equally, the Swedish government on July 14, allowed a man to burn the Torah– the religious text of Jews, outside the Israeli embassy in Stockholm. The act sparked controversy, as Jews protested against the move.

The individual who applied for permission to hold this public gathering has been granted the necessary approval, as stated by Sveriges Radio.

In response to this development, the European Jewish Congress (EJC) issued a press release on Friday, in which they expressed their strong condemnation of the decision made by Swedish authorities.

“Provocative, racist, antisemitic and sickening acts such as these have no place in any civilized society,” EJC president Ariel Muzicant’s statement was quoted by CNN as saying.

Israeli officials urged the Swedish government to put an end to the demonstration, which is slated to occur outside the diplomatic mission on Saturday, July 15.

The Quran burning by 37-year-old Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika during recent anti-Islam protests in the country drew harsh criticism from Muslim nations. He tore up the Quran and set fire to the pages outside the central mosque of Stockholm on the first day of Eid-Al-Adha.

Stockholm police, in accordance with Sweden’s strong tradition of protecting the right to hold public demonstrations, approved the protest with the understanding that it would be a public meeting rather than a permit for different actions.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed his condemnation of the burning of the Quran and expressed his distress that a similar fate awaits the Jewish Bible. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen urged Swedish officials to prevent the burning of the Torah scroll.

Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef implored Sweden’s figurehead king to intervene, denouncing both the planned event and the recent Quran burning in front of a mosque.

The Council of Swedish Jewish Communities has expressed disappointment with the police’s decision, emphasizing the historical significance of burning Jewish books and its association with past tragedies such as pogroms, expulsions, inquisitions, and the Holocaust.

After the torching of the Quran outside a mosque in the Swedish capital in late June, there were tense demonstrations at the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. The decision to allow the rally was made based on the right to free expression, according to Swedish authorities at the time.

The “security risks and consequences associated with burning the Quran” did not meet the criteria to deny the request for a public assembly, according to a police permit acquired by CNN last month. The June demonstration’s authorization stated that Quran burnings raise the possibility of a terrorist attack and may have diplomatic repercussions.

On Wednesday, the U.N.’s top human rights body overwhelmingly approved a measure calling on countries to do more to prevent religious hatred in the wake of the Quran burnings. It was approved despite objections from Western countries who fear tougher steps by governments could trample freedom of expression.

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