STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Ericsson is investigating reports that Baghdad has suspended work permits for its employees in Iraq, and the potential impact to its customers and staff in the country, the Swedish telecommunications equipment company said on Friday.
Iraq expelled Sweden’s ambassador on Thursday over a rally to burn a copy of the Koran in Stockholm earlier in the day, prompting protesters to storm the Swedish embassy in Baghdad.
Two individuals on Thursday kicked and partially destroyed a book they described as the Koran, without burning it.
Following this attack, Ericsson’s work permits in Iraq were suspended, according to an Iraqi news agency.
However, an adviser to the Iraqi Prime Minister denied this information on Friday.
“All contractual agreements made by the Iraqi government will be respected and no company has been suspended from operations, including Ericsson,” said Farhad Alaaldin.
A company spokesperson said in an email that the incident in Sweden was deeply offensive to Muslim believers around the world and did not reflect “Ericsson’s core value of respect”.
“We respect all cultures and religions, and we place great importance on respecting our customers and our employees, as well as the communities in which we operate,” he said.
Ericsson, which has around 30 full-time staff in Iraq, a relatively small market for the company, said the safety of its staff, partners and customers was its top priority.
Sweden has seen a number of Quran book burnings in recent years, most often by far-right and anti-Muslim activists.
(Report by Supantha Mukherjee, written by Anna Ringstrom, French version Dina Kartit, edited by Zhifan Liu)
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