Individuals in Denmark and Norway received text messages during the night of Thursday calling for revenge against those who burn the Koran, according to reports from local media. This message is similar to one sent to a number of Swedes earlier in the week.
The Danish messages contain a link to a website offering a reward of DKK 350 000 to anyone who can deliver the known Danish Koran burner Rasmus Paludan “dead or alive”. While the Norwegian messages, written in English, refer to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and urge “young Muslims” to take revenge on Koran burners.
The Danish police have confirmed that they have received several reports of these threatening messages and say that the case is now being investigated. Details of the investigation have not yet been released.
One of the messages is attributed to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and contains the following statement:
“Setting fire to the Holy Koran exposes the hypocrisy and treachery of Sweden and the Western countries.”
Rasmus Paludan, who is the target of some of the threats, told danish TV 2 that he is “not surprised” by the message.
The Danish (PET) and Norwegian (PST) security services have confirmed that they are aware of these texts. The Swedish Security Service (Säpo) has also stated that it is aware of the situation, but has not yet commented further on its operational work.
