Swedish PM Responds to Iran and Pakistan

Fri, Aug 31, 2007 at 8:27:08 am PDT

The Prime Minister of Sweden, Fredrik Reinfeldt, responds to the Muslim world’s ridiculous rage over the dreaded roundabout dogs of blasphemy: SvD: Reinfeldt om Muhammedprotesterna.

A reader emailed a translation of his statement:

I think it is important to say two things. The first is that we have been very keen on a Sweden that will be a country where muslims and Christians, those that believe in God and those who don’t, can live side by side in mutual respect. We think that we have come very far. I have a responsibility for this to continue and to take initiative to deepen this reciprocity and respect.

At the same time we are very focused on standing up for freedom of expression which is a basic right in the law and which comes natural to us and which ensures that we do not make political decisions about what is published in newspapers. I want to keep it this way.

Swedish MP Fredrik Malm added:

There is no reason to keep quiet about this question. One must be crystal clear that in Sweden it is not the government that decides what appears in newspapers. Iran should change their own press laws and not try to change ours.