Quran denigrated but not burned – what is happening in Sweden right now in 6 points Quran denigrated but not burned – what is happening in Sweden right now in 6 points

In Sweden, an action was approved in which a Koran and an Iraqi flag should have been burned on Tuesday afternoon. Even before the action, protesters had stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad – which in turn condemned the Swedish government. Now the Swedish ambassador has been expelled from Iraq. In the end, however, the planned burning of the Quran fell through.

the chronology:

The attack on the embassy

Swedish police had approved a request to hold a public meeting outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm on Thursday. According to the Swedish news agency TT, one person wanted to burn a Koran and an Iraqi flag.

According to eyewitnesses, hundreds of people went to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad around 02:00 (local time). Many of them climbed over barriers and shouted slogans like “Yes, yes to the Quran”. Photos on social networks showed fire and clouds of smoke on the building in Baghdad on Thursday night. Some celebrated in the streets, waving Iraqi flags. Some groups withdrew by morning.

The role of Muqtada al-Sadr

Among the demonstrators were many supporters of the influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Al-Sadr is one of the most influential clerics in the Arab world. His Islamic movement consists of millions of mostly poor people from urban areas.

In 2022, after a long political crisis, his supporters stormed and occupied the government palace housing the prime minister’s office in Baghdad and the parliament building. Al-Sadr had already called for an “angry protest” in front of the Swedish embassy after the Quran was burned in June.

Swedish conviction

The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs first said it was aware of the situation and was in constant contact with local staff. “Our employees are safe,” said the press service in Stockholm.

Later in the morning, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström issued a personal statement condemning the attack:

The government is in contact with senior Iraqi officials to express their displeasure. To the same end, Iraq’s chargé d’affaires – the country’s top diplomat in Sweden – will be appointed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Stockholm.

At the same time, the minister criticized the Iraqi authorities for the embassy’s lack of protection. The authorities have a clear obligation to protect diplomatic missions and personnel, but it is clear that they have failed in this responsibility. Fortunately, the embassy staff managed to get to safety.

Ignition of the Koran does not work

The man who asked permission to burn the Koran is called Salwan Momika. Photos posted on social media showed him appearing in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm around 1pm on Thursday afternoon with another person and a copy of the Quran, despite all the opposition.

As the Swedish news agency TT reported, Momika trespassed on the holy scriptures of Islam in a green area near the Iraqi embassy. Apparently the planned cremation did not take place: Turned away from the public and the cameras, according to these reports, he and his companion lit the Quran, but the fire did not ignite properly. No one saw the Quran burning. The photos showed small burn marks on the book.

Several counter-demonstrators had gathered on the spot. “You’re a dog,” one of them yelled at Momika as he stomped on the Koran, according to TT.

Momika is a Christian Iraqi. On June 28, 2023, he burned a Quran in front of Sweden’s largest mosque. Apparently, shortly after his application for citizenship in Sweden was rejected, as reported by “France 24”.

Shortly afterwards it became known that he was a member of a Swedish ultra-nationalist party. Videos then surfaced from Momika’s past in Iraq, showing him in the uniform of an Iraqi militia with close ties to Iran – a militia accused of war crimes.

Iraq wants to cut ties

Initially, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the attack on the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. It was an attack on a diplomatic facility, it said.

The tone changed as the morning progressed. The Iraqi Prime Minister’s office said on Twitter that Iraq would cut ties with Sweden if another copy of the Koran was set on fire. The Swedish government has been informed about this “through diplomatic channels”, the agency said on Twitter.

In the afternoon it was announced that Iraq had expelled the Swedish ambassador.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani called on the diplomat on Thursday to “leave Iraqi territory”. At the same time, the Iraqi foreign ministry announced that it would recall the chargé d’affaires from the Iraqi embassy in the Swedish capital Stockholm.

It is also forbidden to do business with Swedish companies in Iraq. This was announced by the country’s minister of communications, Hayam al-Yasiri, reports SVT Nyheter, citing the Iraqi news agency.

It’s about to happen

During a demonstration in front of the mosque in Stockholm at the end of June, a copy of the Koran was set on fire. Then too, Salwan Momika set fire to the Quran.

There were mass protests in Iraq. Morocco withdrew its ambassador from Sweden and Saudi Arabia summoned the Swedish ambassador. Pope Francis also commented on the incident and was “angry and disgusted”. Intentionally desecrating the Qur’an is considered blasphemous in Islam. There are penalties for this in many Islamic countries.

(yam/cst/sda/dpa)