By COLlive reporter
Swedish police have granted permission for a public gathering to take place outside the Israeli embassy, where a Sefer Torah is scheduled to be burned. The controversial event is scheduled for Shabbos and has stirred up strong reactions both domestically and internationally.
According to Swedish media reports, a man in his 30s submitted the request, claiming that this act is a response to the burning of the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm last month.
The burning of the Quran had ignited anger throughout the Muslim world, leading to widespread protests and even the storming of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. In light of the recent request to burn the Torah, Israel’s ambassador to Sweden, Ziv Nevo Kulman, expressed shock and horror.
“This is clearly an act of hatred that must be stopped,” Ambassador Kulman expressed on Twitter earlier this month.
Rabbi Chaim Greisman, Director of Chabad of Stockholm, Sweden, said that he hopes the terrible event will not take place as planned, but said that we must fight the fire of destruction with the fire of peace.
“I truly hope that somehow this will be stopped in the last minute,” Rabbi Greisman wrote. “But is there something we can do today? The Lubavitcher Rebbe repeated many times the idea that darkness cannot be chased away with a stick, but rather with light. When one turns on a light, even a small light, much darkness is dispelled.
“I believe that our reaction should be exactly the opposite of what they are trying to accomplish. They want to light a fire of destruction and hate, let us light a holy fire of peace.
“Today, anytime between the hours of 20.07 – 21.33 (in the Stockholm area), take a match, turn on a fire, and light your Shabbat candles! In addition let us show the world how much we cherish our holy and precious Jewish books. If you have a chumash or any other Jewish book, make yourself a routine to study some Torah, even a few minutes, every day. Perhaps you can even upload a picture to your social media, (before or after shabbat), showing your love for our holy books.”
they must be stopped!! hopefully it will start pouring rain at the scheduled time!!!
Rabbi’s is the best, most kidush aShem, response We are not muslim.
Horrible, absolute madness.
I just want to tell you that im so sorry that my country lets people do this to HaShem’s holy book… Its beyond terrible. I think the Allmoghty one cries if it is done. Here in Sweden, there has recently been ”thing” about burning holy books publicly, mostly the islamic Quran. Burning the Torah is apparently a revenge for that. Seriously, im extremely ashamed of being Swedish right now! The government say ”we cant prohibit it, its against law”. But … Isnt religion and humanity more important than a page in secular law written by lawyers? I think HaShem is… Read more »
For this sincere and light-filled comment !
Arrange a gathering for kids now, yes just you and your neighbors, make a hakel we can storm the heavens!
Thank you for your support and kind thoughts
1- Just curious why the quran was burned, if it’s true, and how retaliation can be accepted as a response by the police.
2- Are there any Rabbonim who feel we should hold a fast day? Beautiful response from the Shliach. But isn’t this quite serious. It’s nice to show love and pride for Torah. But how do we show our shock and dismay that something like this should happen, we don’t allow this if we can control it!!!
Give tzedakah to shuls and yeshivas, including Chabad of Sweden.
The Quran was indeed burned, on several occasions. The political scene here in Sweden is complicated. Essentially, there are extreme nationslists who hate muslims and extreme muslims who hate the haters but also other Swedes and Jews. But also, some of the extreme nationalists dislike Jews, along with some extreme leftists. Most Swedes do NOT belong to any of these groups, but these groups are very loud and outspoken. And… they have started to just LOVE to burn holy books. This far, it has mostly been the Quran, but if they go through and burn the holy Torah, then i… Read more »
fire should burn those attempting to burn our TORAH,
The torah should remain unscathed!
Hire the Hell’s Angels to swoop into the small demonstration, the pretend to be with them, grab the scroll, dance with it a few minutes, and ride away with it on their motorcycles!
Not a Torah scroll.
Still not great, but burning a scroll would need drastic measure
Are you sure?
The article clearly says a sefer Torah ? If just a book, the headline picture and article body should be clearer.
Would make more sense since a sefer Torah is expensive
So let them burn a ‘new’ testament. I dont believe a Jew desecrated their holy book, a foolish act to be sure. looks like were back in Europe 1939
I’m sure it wasn’t Jews that burned their Quran and there’s a tremendous difference between a holy book and Torah scroll. A Scroll aside from it’s holy sanctity is also a very painstaking and very expensive work.
Let us Bentch our Shabbos Candles with extra Kavanah for World Peace. If our Torah bothers them so much.its an honor to be a Frum Jew.Also, dont forget to give extra Tzedakah.LET US HASTEN THE GEULAH, NOW.
Where are they getting a sfer torah from?
They will probably burn a new testament, they are clueless.
Possibly stolen? And that should be a crime. Or an apostate accomplice, G-d forbid. This is an outrage.
Does anyone really think this guy has hundreds of thousands of dollars for a sefer torah? Besides, who would sell to him anyway?
I’m sure it’s a chumash. Still not great, but it isn’t a sefer torah.
Psycho goyim. It will have consequences!
So burn a NewTestement, or the ChineseHoly Books, or the Seeks, or any other Religious holybooks.
Choosing a Torah is clearly anti-semitic!! Certainly it was not aJewish person who did it!
Let them investigate and revenge on the person,s religiou book!!!
We had a case where the Talmud was burnt in Paris in the 1200 ‘s. A lot of rabbanim were attributing to the sefarim of the Rambam that were put in cherem. Looks to me that when something like this is about to happen we need to take a chesbon nefesh why. Do we pay attention to every word of the Krias Hatorah in Shule or do we talk? Do we love the Torah enough to respect it and learn it constantly? I am sure this happening is a call for Tshuva to all of klal Yisrael. May Hashem send… Read more »
But that didn’t stop Muslims from blaming Swedes and Jews for it. Madness.
A Sefer Torah would cost upwards to 100 thousand dollars. They will burn a Bible. They can pick one up free at a hotel room which has been distributed by Christian missionaries. All the Israeli leaders are screaming but they don’t realize that they are the guilty ones as they allow chillul shabbos in public, parades and pork stores etc. So we need to reach out to our fellow Jews with more energy and love both here and in Israel. In the last report the government of Sweden wants to pass law making it illegal to burn religious books. Increase… Read more »
For every Torah they touch we will Build another shule/Chabad house and we will use there advertisment for donation!
Let us pray that Almighty G-D will take revenge on theses evil savages !
Who burned the Quran? Does anyone know why they chose to burn a Jewish book?
who burned the Quran?
We should not burn any religion s book.
#chutspa!!!
Are you serious in hoping that it just rains?
So this extremist should get that far as to have a sefer torah on pyre ready to set fire to it no doubt with kerosene and you hope it rains?
How about “I hope this anti semite drops down dead before he gets that far or the Swedish Government declares it anti semitic or incitement to terror and apprehend this low life
Don’t think it’s a right time for this classic response. It’s clearly not ok, what peace is he talking about? Peace with whom exactly? Talking about peace in this situation gives some legitimacy to those who plan to perpetrate this lo oleinu.
No peace here. No one to appease.
This one was a haven during the holocaust- and a deteriorating society now. There is only one nation that has kept its humanity for the duration.
The USA?
Why? Because it hasn’t been around for long enough to have its bout of Jew hatred?
Why choose to burn a Jewish book? Did a Jew burn the Quran?