Iraq has expelled Sweden’s ambassador after protests erupted in Stockholm on Thursday over the desecration of the Koran.
Tensions between the two countries escalated when a man named Sylvan Momika not only burned pages of Islam’s holy book in Sweden, but also threw stones at it outside the Iraqi embassy.
The recent incident led to chaos at the Swedish embassy in Baghdad since dawn by hundreds of angry Iraqis. The situation escalated when the Iraqi government condemned the attack and retaliated by expelling Sweden’s ambassador. Additionally, Iraq vowed to cut ties with Sweden and suspended the operating license of Swedish telecom company Ericsson.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani expressed his displeasure, saying, “This decision was made because of the Swedish government’s repeated permission to burn the Holy Quran, desecrate Islamic holy places and burn the Iraqi flag.” Burning of religious symbols and books in Sweden by far-right activists and other activists citing freedom of speech protections has sparked protests in European countries in the past.
This situation resulted in a night of chaos at the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. Protesters, particularly followers of the influential Shia Muslim cleric Muqtada Sadr, stormed the embassy, clashed with riot police, and set buildings on fire. Amid the unrest, the Iraqi government detained around 20 protesters.
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Tobias Bluström strongly condemned the attack on the embassy, calling it “totally unacceptable”. He stressed that under the Vienna Convention Iraqi authorities have a responsibility to protect diplomatic missions and personnel.
Countries such as Iran, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have joined in condemning Sweden for allowing the Koran-burning protests to go ahead. Additionally, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union expressed their concern that it was unacceptable that Iraqi security forces did not prevent the attack on the Swedish embassy in Baghdad.
The Koran-burning controversy has caught the attention of Muslim-majority countries and even Pope Francis, who condemned Sylvan Momica’s actions. The incident has also cast a spotlight on Sweden’s freedom of expression laws, as the courts initially rejected requests to burn the Koran.
The situation remains tense as Iraq asserts its position on the issue, and the international community keeps a close eye on further developments between Iraq and Sweden.
