After desecrations of the Koran, the Islamic State calls to attack Christians in Europe

Following the recent burning of a copy of the Koran by Ramus Paludan, a politician familiar with the matter and who holds Swedish and Danish nationalities, the Islamic State calls for attacks on Christians around the world and targets Europe in particular.

The last days, the jihadist organization has launched a campaign to encourage attacks on Christians after Ramus Paludan had twice burned the holy book of Muslims. The extremist and provocative politician took part in a demonstration organized in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm by journalist Chang Frick on January 21 to protest against Ankara's hostility to Sweden's entry into the NATO. On January 27, it started again, this time in Denmark.

In April 2022, Paludan, had previously set fire to copies of the Islamic holy book, and riots broke out before and after his act in various Swedish cities, including attacks on police with the intention to kill officers, according to national police chief Anders Thornberg. Forty people were injured.

In 2019, violence followed his Quran burnings in Denmark and on Youtube. The extremist even adds ham and, he says, pig's blood to his desecrations to reinforce the sacrilege. Paludan is joined in his provocations by the Dutchman Edwin Wagensveld who tore pages from the Koran on January 23 in The Hague, an act condemned, like those in Sweden and Denmark by European Muslim Forum.

Islamic State wants to turn protests into attacks

Islamic State has taken the opportunity to incite attacks on Christians on social media, as protests by Muslims grow in Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, Turkey and others Muslim countries.

He posted messages on Telegram calling on Muslims not just to protest, but to "shed the blood of the author [of the burnings]" or wreak havoc in Europe for a chance to go to Heaven. The Islamist organization encourages them to apply the law of retaliation and set fire to city centers or LGBT flags.

On February 1, 2023, the ISIS-affiliated Mathani Foundation uploaded a video titled "Kill Them Wherever You Meet Them". The document shows the burning of the Koran and points out that the Swedish authorities protected Paludan. In English suggesting that he lived in the UK, a member of the organization calls for harming "infidels" in Europe with all available means:

"Kill them wherever you encounter them. If you're a tradesman, use a nail gun to nail their heads and crucify them to woodwork. If you're a truck driver, run into them until their streets are cleared with their dirty blood or sprinkle oil on their houses while they sleep, and set them on fire," he said, adding that this will make it clear that Muslims should not be harmed. A message in French encourages attacks against "infidels".

The day before, another ISIS-affiliated foundation, the Sarh al-Khilafah Media, had published a video titled "A message from jihad fighters to polytheists in Europe" [belief in the Trinity is considered an association with God by Muslims, even polytheism by some of them Editor's note]. The video mentions a 2006 message from Osama bin Laden, former head of the organization turned rival al-Qaeda, who threatened Europe with reprisals after 12 cartoons caricatured Muhammad were published in a Danish newspaper.

Prior to these messages, the United States had already alerted on January 30 against possible jihadist attacks in Turkey targeting churches, synagogues and diplomatic missions. Meanwhile, an Islamist announced on TikTok that he urinate on a copy of the Bible at a major British junction.

Jean Sarpedon

Image credit: Shutterstock / Thomas Koch