<\/p>\n
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson denounced the leader of the far-right party propping up his government on Monday after he called for some mosques to be torn down.<\/p>\n
Sweden Democrats (SD) leader Jimmie Akesson called for some mosques to be seized and levelled during a speech at his annual party conference on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to start confiscating and tearing down mosques where anti-democratic, anti-Swedish, homophobic, anti-Semitic propaganda or general disinformation is being spread,\u201d Akesson said.<\/p>\n
Kristersson, whose coalition government does not include SD but relies on its support, condemned the statements as \u201cdisrespectful\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it is a disrespectful way of expressing oneself, a polarising way of expressing oneself,\u201d Kristersson told broadcaster SVT<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis misrepresents what Sweden stands for internationally,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Akesson\u2019s speech sparked anger both in Sweden and abroad and forced Kristersson to issue a statement on X, formerly Twitter, reiterating Sweden\u2019s \u201cconstitutional right to freedom of religion\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Sweden, we do not demolish places of worship. As a society, we must fight back against violent extremism whatever its grounds \u2014 but we will do so within the framework of a democratic state and the rule of law,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Former Social Democrat prime minister Magdalena Andersson called for Kristersson to remove all SD officials working at the cabinet offices in Stockholm.<\/p>\n \u201cIt worsens the image of Sweden, does not facilitate our Nato application and further increases polarisation in our country. This is not putting Sweden and the Swedish people\u2019s safety and security first,\u201d Andersson said on X.<\/p>\n Sweden, whose Nato application<\/a> still needs ratification from Hungary and Muslim-majority Turkey, has seen a slew of incidents spark tensions with countries around the Middle East.<\/p>\n A series<\/a> of incidents in which the Holy Quran was desecrated earlier this year led to protests and widespread condemnations of Sweden, with several Middle Eastern countries summoning<\/a> Swedish envoys.<\/p>\n