Swedish embassy in Baghdad set on fire over Quran sacrilege

In the early hours of Thursday morning, scores of protesters in central Baghdad stormed the Swedish embassy, scaling its walls and setting it ablaze. The incident was in response to a planned burning of the Holy Quran in Sweden.

Fortunately, all embassy staff in Baghdad were reported safe by the Swedish foreign ministry press office. They condemned the attack and emphasized the importance of Iraqi authorities protecting diplomatic missions.

The protest was organized by supporters of cleric Muqtada Sadr, who called for demonstrations against the second planned Quran burning in Sweden in a matter of weeks. Posts in a popular Telegram group linked to the influential cleric and other pro-Sadr media promoted the protest.

Cleric Muqtada Sadr wields significant influence in Iraq and has a large following. In the past, he has called on his followers to take to the streets, resulting in significant demonstrations and clashes.

According to Swedish news agency TT, the Swedish police had granted permission for a public meeting outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, where the Quran burning was intended to take place along with the burning of the Iraqi flag.

Videos posted on the Telegram group, One Baghdad, showed people gathering around the embassy chanting pro-Sadr slogans and later storming the embassy complex.

Smoke was seen rising from a building in the complex, and protesters were spotted on its roof. However, the authenticity of the videos could not be independently verified by Reuters.

The incident prompted condemnation from Iraq’s foreign ministry, which vowed to investigate swiftly, identify the perpetrators, and hold them accountable.

This event follows a previous Quran burning incident in Stockholm, carried out by an Iraqi man, which led to major protests outside the Swedish embassy in Baghdad.

The man responsible was charged by Swedish police for agitation against an ethnic or national group. Several Muslim countries, including Iraq, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Morocco, protested the incident and sought the man’s extradition for trial.

The United States also condemned the Quran burning but clarified that Sweden’s issuance of the permit was in support of freedom of expression and not an endorsement of the action.

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