Protests Over Quran Desecration Incident in Sweden

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• Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem involved in multiple Quran desecration incidents.
• Similar incident took place near Iraq’s embassy in Stockholm earlier.
• Strong reactions from Muslim countries, including condemnation from Pakistan.

An incident of desecrating the Holy Quran outside the Swedish Royal Palace in Stockholm has come to light, with heavy police presence, as reported on Wednesday.

This event, occurring on Monday, represents the second occurrence in a few weeks where individuals Salwan Momika, 37, and Salwan Najem, 48, have been involved in desecrating the Holy Quran. The act is permitted under Sweden’s freedom of speech laws.

Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee residing in Sweden, has been associated with multiple incidents of this nature. The most recent incident took place on July 31, when he and another individual desecrated the Holy Quran near the Swedish parliament.

Taking place at Mynttorget, a central square surrounded by government structures and the palace, the desecration involved a theatrical display while the two men used a megaphone to engage counterprotesters, according to media.

Counterprotesters with their own megaphones drowned out the act, with some dressed in firefighter-themed attire, distributing plastic firefighter hats and encouraging bystanders to express their opinions.

Amid the incident, a group of Swedish activists confronted the perpetrators, urging them to cease the provocative act. One activist attempting to thwart the attack was arrested by the police, who seemingly protected the assailants.

Earlier in July, the duo conducted a similar protest outside Iraq’s embassy in Stockholm, where they desecrated the holy book.

These occurrences have elicited strong reactions across the Muslim world, drawing condemnation from nations such as Pakistan at international forums.

Following the recent incident, former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif labeled the act as “highly disturbing.” He expressed concern over the recurrent nature of such incidents and criticized the Swedish government’s response, emphasizing the need for stringent enforcement of the law.

Calls for bans on such acts have gained momentum. The United Nations Human Rights Council approved a resolution in July, introduced by Pakistan on behalf of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, urging the prevention and prosecution of acts and advocacy of religious hatred.

While discussions about legal restrictions on such acts have taken place in Nordic countries, Sweden’s stance on its freedom of speech laws remains largely unchanged. The government is considering measures to address public desecration of holy books that pose a clear threat to national security.

Sweden currently permits Quran desecrations, in contrast to neighboring Finland, where such acts are illegal. However, limited political willingness to impose changes persists in Sweden.

Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch emphasized Sweden’s autonomy in determining legislation and expressed that the country would not be influenced by the faiths or laws of other nations. Proposed changes to the Public Order Act face challenges in aligning with Sweden’s constitutionally protected freedom of assembly.