2023-07-20 15:58:26
Abroad Sweden
Man steps on Koran in Stockholm – Iraq expels Swedish ambassador
As of: 5:58 p.m. | Reading time: 4 minutes
Man steps on Koran – but avoids burning
Another Koran is denigrated in an Islamophobic action in Stockholm. The action sparked angry protests in Iraq. Ultimately, the planned incineration does not take place – but Baghdad is still drawing diplomatic consequences.
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The Koran did not go up in flames, but it was trampled on in Stockholm. Iraq had previously threatened to sever diplomatic relations with Sweden if the Koran were burned once more. The Swedish embassy in Baghdad was stormed at night.
There was no big scandal: at a demonstration in Sweden, a man stepped on the Koran but didn’t burn the Muslim scriptures as announced.
Salwan Momika with the Koran in Stockholm
What: AP/Oscar Olsson
Among other things, Iraq had threatened Sweden with consequences. Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani’s office said if another copy of the Koran were set on fire there, as it did in June, Iraq would break diplomatic relations with Sweden. The Swedish government was informed regarding this “through diplomatic channels,” the office said on Twitter.
Actions followed later, as the Archyde.com news agency reports: Iraq expelled the Swedish ambassador and at the same time recalled its own chargé d’affaires from Sweden on Thursday.
The Swedish embassy in Baghdad caught fire on Thursday night
Angered by the planned burning in Stockholm, Iraqi demonstrators stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on Thursday night and set it on fire. Smoke rose from the building. Videos circulating online showed men waving flags and holding signs depicting influential Iraqi Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr.
Dozens of people were seen climbing over the fence protecting the building, while others appeared to be trying to break down a front door. Another video showed a fire being started. Still other footage showed men in a room while an alarm sounded in the background. A number of people prayed in front of the embassy.
Flags and fires in the night
Those: Muhannad Al-Azzawi via REUTERS
“We didn’t wait until morning, we entered at dawn and set the Swedish embassy on fire,” said a young protester. He then called out the name of the influential Shia leader with “Muktada”.
Iraq’s government also condemned the action
The Swedish Foreign Ministry said it was informed regarding the situation and was in constant contact with the local staff. “Our employees are safe,” said the press office in Stockholm. “We condemn all attacks on diplomats and employees of international organizations.” It is the task of Iraqi security forces to protect diplomatic missions. Videos showed little resistance from security forces during the night’s commotion.
Smoke rises above the Swedish embassy
Which: REUTERS
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry condemned the action “strongly”. “The Iraqi government has directed the relevant security agencies to conduct an urgent investigation and take the necessary security measures to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident,” the statement said. Those involved should be identified and held “accountable under the law”.
Videos on the Telegram channel “Ein Baghdad” showed how the demonstrators gathered around the embassy around 1 a.m. (local time) on Thursday and stormed the building complex regarding an hour later. “Yes, yes to the Koran,” chanted the demonstrators. Later videos showed smoke billowing from a building.
It was announced on Wednesday that the Swedish police had approved a protest in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, where a Koran is to be burned this Thursday. As the TT news agency reported, the organizers announced when they registered for the demonstration that they wanted to set fire to Iraqi flags and the Koran. The Swedish police stressed that they only issue permits for public gatherings, not for the content of those gatherings.
Security forces use a water cannon
Which: REUTERS
In June, a Christian immigrant from Iraq burned a Koran outside a Stockholm mosque during the Islamic Festival of Sacrifice holiday. The action provoked widespread outrage in the Muslim world. There were widespread 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”.
also read
The right to public demonstrations is strong in Sweden and protected by the constitution. The blasphemy laws were abolished in the 1970s. For Muslims, however, the burning of the Koran is a blasphemous desecration of the sacred text of their religion.
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