Britain Rejects Far-Right Plans to Burn Koran

Far-right politician Rasmus Paludan, who was planning to burn a copy of the Koran, will not be allowed to enter Britain, according to a statement from Security Minister Tom Tugendhat on Monday.

Tugendhat said Danish-Swedish Rasmus Paludan, leader of the Stram Kors party founded in 2017, has been added to the “index of warnings” and will be banned from entering the country.

Paludan organized several protests in which the Qur’an was burned, some of which led to violent counter-protests.

And he said in a video on Twitter on Sunday that he intends to burn a copy of the Islamic holy book in a public square in the English city of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, this week, coinciding with the month of Ramadan.

Speaking in the House of Commons during Home Office questions, Labor MP Simon Lightwood (Wakefield) raised concerns about a potential visit and protest.

He said: “Danish far-right politician Rasmus Paludan said he would travel from Denmark to Wakefield for the sole purpose of burning the Quran in a public place.

“Mr. Paludan was previously imprisoned in Denmark for his hateful and racist remarks. He is a dangerous man who should not be allowed into this country. Can the Home Secretary assure me and my community that the government is taking action to prevent this?”

Mr Tugendhat replied: “May I inform the House of Representatives that Mr Paludan has been added to the Index of Warnings, his travel to the United Kingdom will therefore not be conducive to the public interest and he will not be allowed entry”.

Paludan, the leader of the far-right Stram Kors (hard line) party, burned a copy of the Koran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm in January with police protection and permission from the Swedish authorities.

The following week, he burned a copy of the Bible in front of a mosque in Denmark, drawing condemnation from many Muslim-majority countries, including Turkey.