ambassador appointed
Koran desecration throws Sweden into diplomatic crisis
07/21/2023, 04:45 am
This time the Koran was not burned, but trampled on and partially destroyed. The rally in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm sparked outrage, especially in the Arab world. Iraq announces the severing of diplomatic relations.
The anti-Koran rally in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm caused an international uproar. The Iranian foreign ministry summoned the Swedish ambassador to protest “firmly against the desecration of the Holy Koran”. Strong criticism also came from Turkey: “We condemn the despicable attack on our Holy Book in the strongest possible terms,” the foreign ministry said. The Swedish government must resolutely prevent such hate crimes.
A book that protesters said was a Koran was trampled on and partially destroyed at the rally in Stockholm. Two participants who wanted to burn a Koran were expected at the rally approved by the Swedish police. But this did not happen.
The incident led to diplomatic tangles between Sweden and Iraq. The government in Baghdad recalled its chargé d’affaires from Stockholm before the demonstrators left the area by the Iraqi ambassador after about an hour. The Swedish ambassador to Iraq was also expelled. The Swedish embassy in Baghdad was stormed and set on fire by an angry crowd. The Iraqi government initially condemned these riots. However, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani also announced that burning the Koran on Swedish soil would result in an end to diplomatic relations with the Scandinavian country.
Protest covered by freedom of speech, according to court
One of the two men who wanted to burn a Koran and an Iraqi flag is Salwan Mombika, who set fire to a Koran in front of a Stockholm mosque in June. Mombika came to Sweden from Iraq in 2018 and is recognized there as a refugee. He describes himself on Facebook as an “atheist and enlightened politician, thinker and author”. The police wanted to ban his recent rally because of security concerns, but failed because of courts that see restrictions on freedom of expression.
The Swedish Foreign Ministry confirmed the appointment of the ambassador to Iran, but declined to comment on the content of the meeting. Saudi Arabia also summoned the Swedish chargé d’affaires to Riyadh. The Foreign Ministry announced that a note of protest against the desecration of the Koran had been handed over. Qatar acted similarly, urging the Swedish authorities to “take all necessary measures to prevent such shameful acts.”
Hezbollah calls for severing ties
The Islamist militia Hezbollah in Lebanon called on Arab and Islamic states to follow Iraq’s example. They should expel Swedish ambassadors from their countries and, conversely, recall their own representatives from Sweden, said Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. He also called on Muslims to take part in Friday prayers in large numbers. The believers should demonstratively sit down in front of the mosques with their Koran books.
After the storming of the Swedish embassy, the country’s foreign minister, Tobias Billstrom, accused the Iraqi government of ignoring the Vienna Convention for the Protection of Embassies. The incident in Baghdad was completely unacceptable. The US and UK governments also strongly condemned the attack. The Washington State Department said the Iraqi security services should have prevented the demonstrators from storming the diplomatic mission. Britain welcomed the Iraqi government’s intention to hold those responsible to account.