JABAR EKSPRES – An Iraqi national named Salwan Momika set fire to a copy of the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm, Sweden, during Eid al-Adha celebrations.
The incident took place outside the Stockholm Mosque on Medborgarplatsen, where Momika first dropped the Muslim holy book on the ground before setting it on fire and uttering words abusing Islam.
Stockholm police were called outside the mosque to prevent any incidents that could lead to provocation.
The chairman of the Stockholm Mosque Association, Mahmut Khalfi, condemned the provocative act and also criticized the permission granted by the police. He stated that the incident caused great anger among Muslims around the world.
On June 12, 2023, a Swedish appeals court upheld the lower court’s decision to overturn the ban on Quran burning.
The court ruled that police had no legal basis to prevent two protests involving Koran burnings earlier this year.
Earlier, in February, police refused to grant permits for two Quran burning attempts citing security concerns after Danish right-wing politician Rasmus Paludan burned a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm in January.
Later, two people involved in provocative actions outside the Iraqi and Turkish embassies in Stockholm appealed against the decision.
In April, the Stockholm Administrative Court overturned the decision and concluded that the security risks were not sufficient to restrict the ability to demonstrate.
