In Sweden and Denmark, legal measures are being discussed to put an end to the chain of Koran burnings which are literally setting fire to Western democratic institutions in Muslim countries. From a purely formal point of view, the political leaders of two Scandinavian countries are looking for ways to ban the burning of the Koran.

Today, book burning threatens both the ability and opportunity of NATO and Western democracies to defend Ukraine as a free and independent state.

The effect of Donald Trump’s denial of democracy and the book burning in Scandinavia is, if not in force, at least in consequence entirely fortuitous.

Paradoxically, the right to freedom of expression is used as justification in both cases.

Freedom of expression

Trump is invoking the First Amendment to the US Constitution, a constitutional protection of American freedom of speech dating back to 1791. This protection has adapted over the years to a more modern reality, but it has never been a protection of right to incite illegal acts.

On the contrary, and this is precisely what Trump is accused of.

Sweden also has legislation ensuring very comprehensive, detailed and comprehensive protection of freedom of expression. The protection is so broad that even people like the Quran burners, who want to ban the political expressions of others, have almost unlimited protection for their actions.