Kashif Virk, Missionary, Sweden
In response to the burning of copies of the Holy Quran in Sweden, the Ahmadiyya mission in Sweden held stalls all over the country to promote dialogue and the teachings of the Holy Quran. Following the guidance of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih Vaa, Jamaat Sweden has worked actively for several years to respond to the desecration of copies of the Holy Quran. Tours and stalls have been arranged in more than 90 locations around the country. Copies of the Holy Quran have been placed in hundreds of libraries across Sweden. A campaign has also been launched on social media with the hashtags #FrågaEnMuslim (Ask a Muslim) and #KoranenLär (The Quran Teaches).
Between 21 and 23 July 2023, Jamaat Sweden arranged stalls in the cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Kalmar, and Luleå. The stalls attracted hundreds of visitors who came and asked questions and had dialogue. More than 170 copies of the Holy Quran with the Swedish translation were distributed. Many appreciated Jamaat’s efforts in promoting dialogue and peace.
Among the public in Sweden, many are openly against burning the Holy Quran and think it should not be allowed.
The media outreach was also significant. Two national and three local TV stations covered the event. The stall was also covered by one national and five local radio stations. Seven local newspapers also published news about the event. Other than this, two Swedish-Arab media outlets gave news about the event, which gathered a total of 2.5 million followers online.
The response of the general public was also overwhelming. In Stockholm, a lady came forward with tears in her eyes and said that this is the right way of raising an opinion. On Arab social media, there are comments such as:
“May Allah reward you”, “May Allah bless you”, “Excellent”, and “All respect”.
Two weeks later, Jamaat Sweden was invited by the Foreign Minister and Social Minister to discuss the recent incidents. At this meeting, I had the opportunity to present the peaceful efforts of Jamaat Sweden to promote dialogue and respect, which was appreciated.