Protests in Iraq and Iran after Quran burning in Sweden

After the burning of a Koran in Sweden, thousands of people in Iraq and religious students in Iran demonstrated. Thousands of people gathered in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq for the second day in a row on Friday, according to eyewitnesses. They marched through the streets after Friday prayers demanding that the man who set fire to a copy of Islam’s sacred scriptures in front of the mosque in Stockholm be held accountable.

The demonstrators followed a call from the influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. He called for an “angry, big demonstration” in front of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad to demand the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador. Thousands of demonstrators, mostly Sadrists, then gathered at the diplomatic mission. Demonstrators are said to have broken through the gate to the embassy on Thursday.

In Iran, students of Islamic seminars gathered in front of the diplomatic mission in Tehran, as reported by state television. Protest slogans such as “Down with the enemies of the Qur’an” were featured on posters. The Iranian foreign ministry summoned the Swedish chargé d’affaires on Thursday.

A Koran was set on fire at a demonstration in Stockholm on Wednesday. A man burned a copy of Islam’s sacred scriptures in front of a mosque in Stockholm. The police had previously approved this after other similar actions were banned in February. Intentionally desecrating the Qur’an is considered blasphemous in Islam. There are punishments in many Islamic countries.

Al-Sadr described the burning of the Quran as a “serious hate crime” and an attack on “justice and peace”. The Baghdad government called for the man – an Iraqi – to be extradited to stand trial.

In Iraq, protesters also set fire to the rainbow flag at a protest in the south and in Baghdad. This symbolizes the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community. In Baghdad, some shouted “Yes to the Quran” and “No to homosexuality”. (sda/dpa)