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| Diplomatic dispute over the 'desecration' of the Qur'an: Sweden's ambassador to Iraq, Malik Badr, suspends the business of Swedish companies |
The Iraqi government has ordered the expulsion of Sweden's ambassador to Baghdad for 'desecration' of the Quran again in Stockholm. While Iraq has recalled its ambassador to Sweden, it has suspended the businesses of Swedish companies on its territory.
Angry protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Iraq on Thursday. They also set fire to the embassy compound. Sweden's foreign minister has described these protests as 'unacceptable'.
The diplomatic row escalated when a Christian immigrant from Iraq was allowed by Swedish police to demonstrate in Stockholm again by burning the Koran.
In response, hundreds of people entered the Swedish embassy in Iraq. Following a similar incident in Sweden on Eid, protesters in Iraq entered the Swedish embassy.
(#desecration)
According to eyewitnesses and videos in Stockholm, Sloan Momica did not burn the Koran outside the Iraqi embassy but placed his foot on it. Last month, he burned the Koran outside Stockholm's main mosque.
Many Muslim-majority countries have condemned these incidents. They call it Islamophobia, discrimination against the followers of Islam.
Saudi Arabia summoned Sweden's ambassador to the country on Thursday. He condemned the desecration of the Quran and demanded punishment for those responsible.
Protesters in Iraq set fire to the embassy over the 'desecration' of the Koran in Sweden
Initially, the police banned the Koran-burning demonstrations in Stockholm, but the local courts lifted the ban, citing it as a restriction on freedom of expression.
Meanwhile, in Baghdad, protesters, many of them followers of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, scaled the walls of the Swedish embassy, set fire to the compound, and clashed with police.
Sweden says all its employees in Baghdad were safe during the chaos.
The Iraqi government has condemned the attack on the Swedish embassy and said that 20 people have been detained in connection with the incident.
Angry protesters in Iraq stormed the Swedish embassy and set fire to its compound
He has warned the Swedish government that if Momika is allowed to burn the Koran again, it will further strain diplomatic relations.
In a statement released on Thursday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani asked the Swedish ambassador to leave the country. According to Iraq's official news agency INA, the business of other Swedish companies, including the telecom company Ericsson, has been suspended.
The Iraqi prime minister's office said in a statement that the measures were taken in Sweden for allowing the burning of the Koran, desecrating the Iraqi flag, and insulting Islamic figures.
It should be noted that Iran, Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan have also condemned the 'anti-Islamic' demonstrations in Sweden.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Bluström has strongly condemned the attack on the embassy in Iraq.
He says that "According to the Vienna Convention, the responsibility for the protection of diplomatic missions and personnel is imposed on the Iraqi authorities."
The United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have condemned the attack on the Swedish embassy. The US has said that Iraqi forces did not provide security to the Swedish embassy, which is "unacceptable".
Muslim countries have expressed concern that the Koran has been used as a symbol during protests in Sweden, which has hurt those who believe in the holy book. Meanwhile, the Pope has also condemned Momika's actions.
The case has once again put Sweden's freedom of expression laws in the spotlight.
Earlier this month, a man was allowed to burn a Torah outside the Israeli embassy in Stockholm. The man did not do so on the day of the demonstration and said he wanted to point out that even freedom of expression has certain limits that must be taken into account.
Quran burning in Sweden on the day of Eid, condemnation of Muslim countries
The incident of a person burning a copy of the Quran in Stockholm on the day of Eid al-Adha in June has been strongly condemned by several Muslim countries, including Pakistan and Turkey.
A man set fire to a copy of the Quran outside Stockholm's central mosque. A person of Iraqi origin is involved in the incident of burning the Quran, who had taken formal permission from the court for this demonstration.
While Morocco and Jordan have recalled their ambassadors from Stockholm in protest over this incident, angry protesters also entered the compound of the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. However, the angry mob dispersed from there on the deployment of local security forces.
Sloan Momika: Who is the person who burned the copy of the Quran in Sweden?
On the day of Eid, one of the two protesters outside the main mosque tore up a copy of the Quran and set it on fire after desecrating the holy book.
Meanwhile, another person continued to repeat the translation of the protester's words on the megaphone.
Some people present chanted 'God is great' (God is great) to protest the burning of papers, while one person who tried to throw stones was shot by police. He was taken into custody.
Before the demonstration, the person involved in the incident, Sloan Momika, told the American news channel CNN that he came to Sweden from Iraq five years ago and has Swedish citizenship.
He told CNN that he is an atheist, meaning he does not follow any religion.
Sloan Momika further told CNN that he is holding the demonstration after a three-month legal battle in court demanding that the Quran be banned.
It should be noted that the Swedish police rejected several requests to hold anti-Muslim protests.
However, a local court rejected the police's decisions saying they violated freedom of expression.
Mosque Director and Imam Mahmood Khalafi said that the decision to allow the protest on the occasion of the Eid al-Adha holiday has disappointed the representatives of the mosque.
Imam Khalafi said in a statement that the mosque management requested the police to at least move the demonstration to another place which is possible according to the law. However, he chose not to do so.
According to Khalifa, around ten thousand people come to the Stockholm mosque for Eid celebrations every year.
Why is it 'allowed' to burn the Quran in Sweden?
Unlike many Western countries, Sweden does not have blasphemy laws. During the 19th century, Sweden had strict blasphemy laws which were abolished after the country became secular.
No law in Sweden allows the burning of the Koran or any other holy book.
However, here the police, not the government, decide whether a protest or public gathering should be allowed.
Freedom of expression is specially protected in its constitution. In Sweden, the police have to give a specific reason to withhold a permit for a demonstration, such as threats to public safety.
In February, Stockholm police withheld permission for two Koran-burning demonstrations, saying Sweden's security service said such events could increase the risk of terrorist attacks in the country.
However, the court rejected this decision and said that the police have to cite more concrete threats to ban a public gathering.
After that, the police permit regarding the demonstration outside the mosque in Sweden on Eid said that "the possible security risks and consequences of burning the Quran are not such that according to the current law, they can be the basis for the decision to reject the demonstration request."
The permit for the demonstration also states that "burning the Quran means increasing the risk of a terrorist attack and may also affect foreign policy."
The gathering was permitted by the authorities under certain conditions, including a ban on setting fires during protests from June 12 until further notice.
Meanwhile, Swedish police have initially charged Sylvan Momika with hate crimes, but it will be up to prosecutors to decide whether formal charges will be brought against him.
Condemnation of Muslim countries including Pakistan, Turkey
Many Muslim countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Egypt, have strongly condemned the incident of burning the Quran outside the mosque in Sweden.
The Pakistani Foreign Office has said that 'inciting violence under the pretext of freedom of expression and protest cannot be justified in any way.'
According to the statement, "According to international laws, it is the responsibility of the government to prevent violent actions to incite religious hatred."
According to the Foreign Office, "Continuity of incidents of Islamophobia in the West raises serious questions about the legal framework."
According to the statement of the spokesperson of the Foreign Office, "Pakistan's concerns about this incident are being conveyed to Sweden." The international community should take concrete steps against Islamophobia and anti-Muslim sentiments.
On the other hand, Morocco and Jordan have recalled their ambassadors from Sweden.
Morocco's foreign office has described the incident as offensive and irresponsible, saying that the action was taken at a time when Muslims were celebrating one of their holy festivals.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has condemned this desecration of the Quran in a tweet, saying that it is unacceptable to allow anti-Islamic demonstrations in the name of freedom of expression.
Saudi Arabia has also condemned this incident and said in its statement that "such actions lead to the increase of hatred and racism."
On the other hand, the Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department told reporters in his briefing that the burning of sacred documents is 'impolite and hurtful' which may be legally permissible but morally inappropriate.
However, he urged Turkey and Hungary to endorse Sweden's application to join NATO. "We are confident that Sweden has fulfilled its commitments under the tripartite memorandum."
Sweden applied for NATO membership in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year, but Turkey, a member of the NATO alliance, objected to the process and accused Sweden of harboring people it considers terrorists and demanding their extradition.
Swedish Prime Minister Alf Kristerson said at a press conference that he would not speculate on how the protest might affect Sweden's NATO process.
He said that the act is legal but not morally appropriate. He added that it is up to the police to decide on the Quran-burning incident.
(#desecration)