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On January 21, 2023, Rasmus Paludan, a Danish-Swedish politician and leader of the Danish Stram Kurs party, burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm. On January 27, he burned another two copies of the Quran in front of a Danish mosque in Copenhagen. His act drew harsh criticism by governments along with Salafi jihadi groups and their supporters, who published posters inciting violence against Westerners and urging Muslims to launch lone-wolf attacks in retaliation. [1]
On January 30, 2023, a pro-Islamic State (ISIS) media outlet released three, released three posters in response to the Quran-burning using the hashtag "Religious War Not Individual Actions," which claim that the Quran-burning isn't a single act but part of a war declared by the West against Islam.
The first poster, addressing all Muslims, explains that the war between them and Christians is an ideological one in which Christians seek to "turn us away from our religion," and calls on Muslims to choose a side, quoting Quran 4:76: "So fight against Satan’s forces. Indeed, Satan’s schemes are ever weak."[2]
The second poster encourages Muslims living in the West to carry out attacks: "Get up brother, and tear them like they tore our Quran, burn them like they burned our Quran and our sanctities."
The third poster, addressing "the zealous people of this Ummah [Islamic nation]," claims that the rulers and armies of Muslim countries won't respond to this act, and that only ISIS will defend the Quran, adding: "We will not rest nor calm our mind, nor will we enjoy life until we will raise the Quran and be judged by it."
On January 30, 2023, another pro-ISIS outlet released two posters in response to the Quran-burning.
The first poster shows Rasmus Paludan on fire while burning the Quran, with the text: "Global Religious War Not Individual Actions."[3]
The second poster, featuring a fighter with a sword holding a picture of Rasmus Paludan burning the Quran, calls every Muslim to carry out terror attacks and set an example for others.[4]
[1] See MEMRI JTTM Reports: Reactions To Quran Burning In Stockholm: Condemnation And Calls For Revenge Against Sweden, January 23, 2023; Reactions To Quran Burning In Stockholm: Condemnation And Calls For Revenge Against Sweden – Part II, January 24, 2023; Pro-ISIS Media Outlets Release Posters Threatening Lone Wolf Attacks In Sweden In Retaliation For Quran Burning, January 25, 2023; Reactions To Quran Burning In Stockholm: Condemnation And Calls For Revenge Against Sweden – Part III, January 26, 2023.
[2] January 30, 2023.
[3] January 30, 2023.
[4] January 30, 2023.
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