Protesters set fire to a police bus in the park Sveaparken in Orebro, Sweden, Friday, April 15, 2022 following an anti-Islam far-right group’s decision to burn a Quran there. (AP)
Palestinian refugee Ibrahim Yousef and two other people have been brought before a court in Sweden after they participated in riots protesting Quran burning by the Swedish-Danish far-right party leader Rasmus Paludan.
Swedish news outlets said police investigation claimed Yousef set fire to a police car and stoned policemen during riots in Örebro city.
Yousef, 31, was born and raised in Damascus. He arrived in Sweden in 2013 and lives in Karlskoga city. He obtained Swedish citizenship in 2017 and works as a translator. He is the father of a young boy.
In mid-April this year, the Danish leader of the far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line) party burned a copy of the Holy Quran in a heavily-populated Muslim area in Sweden, according to media reports.
Rasmus Paludan, accompanied by police, went to an open public space in southern Linkoping and placed the Muslim holy book down and burned it while ignoring protests from onlookers.
About 200 demonstrators gathered in the square to protest. The group urged police not to allow the racist leader to carry out his action.
After the police ignored the calls, incidents broke out and the group closed the road to traffic, pelting stones at police.
The Islamophobic provocations of the racist anti-Islamist politicians under police protection continue in cities across Sweden. Extremists particularly choose neighborhoods that are heavily populated by Muslims and places near mosques for provocations.