Sweden Raises Terror Threat Over Quran Burnings

Minggu, 20 Agustus 2023 – 06:10 WIB

VIVA – The domestic security service of Sweden, SAPO raised its terrorism alert to the second highest level on this week. It follows a series of Quran burning and other acts against Islam’s holy book in the Scandinavian country in recent months.

“The reason for this decision is the deteriorated situation with regard to attack threats to Sweden and the assessment that the threat will remain for a long time,” the Head of the SAPO, Charlotte von Essen said in Stockholm.

Ilustrasi Pembakaran Al Quran di Swedia

The Swedish armed forces also said they were raising the terrorism threat level for operations.

Von Essen stressed the attack threat posed by “violent Islamist actors” has increased, but the alert level was not raised due to any knowledge of a specific plan.

“Sweden has gone from being considered a legitimate target for terrorist attacks to being considered a prioritized target,” she said.

Islamophobic actions by small groups in Sweden and Denmark have recently sparked angry protests and threats in several Muslim-majority countries.