A Danish anti-Islam activist has been jailed in Sweden for four months after taking part in protests that involved setting the Islamic Quran on fire. Rasmus Paludan has been found guilty in the Malmö district court of “incitement against an ethnic group,” charges he firmly denies.
Paludan, leader of Denmark’s Stram Kurs (Hard Line) party, intends to appeal the conviction. His charges relate to two protests in April and September 2022. During the April demonstration, he allegedly wrapped bacon around a Quran, subsequently setting it on fire, kicking, and spitting on it.
He also reportedly made derogatory remarks about Muslims, stating they “like to use violence” and contribute to “unrest and disharmony.” Muslims erupted into riots several times after Paludan’s Quran-burning protests.