The incident of a man tearing up and then burning the Quran outside Stockholm’s central mosque last Wednesday created a lot of waves everywhere.
From people, including governments and even the Pope condemning the act to protests in Baghdad outside the Swedish embassy, the reaction was swift and intense. The protesting act also could potentially hurt Sweden’s NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) bid considering this could anger Turkey who is a NATO member and has shown reservations against Sweden joining previously.
On 28th June 2023 and the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, around 200 people witnessed a 37-year-old Iraqi refugee tear up pages from the Quran, the holy text for the religion of Islam, wiped them on his shoe, and then burned them.
Why Did He Burn The Quran?
According to reports, the person behind the act was someone called Salwan Momika. An Iraqi refugee who came to Sweden some 5 years ago and is a citizen of there now.
CNN quoted him saying that “This book should be banned in the world because of the danger it causes to democracy, ethics, human values, human rights, and women’s rights. It just doesn’t work in this time and age.”
The man an atheist said this protest act was coming almost 3 months after legal battles in court.
While TT news agency that spoke with him before the demonstration quoted him through his interpreter saying “We will burn the Quran, we will say: rise, Sweden. This is democracy and it is dangerous if they say that we’re not allowed to do it.”
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As per CNN, the police permit the protester got for his demonstration said that “security risks and consequences connected to a Quran burning are not of such a nature that, according to current law, they can be the basis for a decision to reject an application for a general meeting.”
But added that while this could “mean an increased risk of a terrorist attack” and “can also have foreign policy consequences” at the same time “security problems to be the basis for a decision to refuse a general assembly, these must have a clear connection to the planned gathering or its immediate surroundings.”
A report by The National News also alleged the protester to be a member of the far-right Sweden Democrats and that he’s said the “freedom and laws are in danger” of Sweden along with how the police “are trying to impose the Quran on you”.
Momika had actually applied for a police permit for a similar demonstration before also, however, at that time it had been blocked. He also spoke with Swedish media and commented that his protesting act was not about the country’s potential NATO membership in any way. He simply wanted the religious book to be banned in the country.
The foreign ministry of Sweden has now come out with an official statement condemning the act saying “The Swedish Government fully understands that the Islamophobic acts committed by individuals at demonstrations in Sweden can be offensive to Muslims.”
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