In a concerning incident, the Swedish embassy in Baghdad was forcefully entered by a large group of protesters on Thursday. The protesters were furious over the planned burning of a Koran outside the Iraqi embassy in Sweden. The compound, which also houses the Finnish embassy, was infiltrated by the demonstrators, resulting in a small fire being set. Fortunately, the embassy staff remained unharmed. Swedish Foreign Minister, Tobias Billstrom, criticized the Iraqi authorities for their failure to protect the building. He stated, “The government strongly condemns these attacks. What has happened is completely unacceptable.” The Swedish government is currently engaged in discussions with high-ranking Iraqi representatives to express their dismay. Iraq’s Foreign Ministry has announced that an “urgent investigation” will take place to address the situation. It is crucial for diplomatic entities to be safeguarded in order to maintain international relations.
Last month, supporters of Shia cleric Moktada al-Sadr also gathered at the Swedish embassy to protest. These demonstrations were in connection to the actions of Salwan Momika, an Iraqi Christian with refugee status in Sweden. Momika had burned pages of the Koran outside of Sweden’s largest mosque, sparking outrage. Momika has been associated with Swedish far-right groups, according to France24. It has been reported that he intends to burn both the holy book and an Iraqi flag outside the Stockholm embassy on Thursday. Swedish authorities initially rejected applications for protests involving the burning of the Koran, citing the protection of freedom of speech laws. However, the courts overruled these decisions. In response to these events, the Swedish government is now examining the possibility of amending the law to prohibit such protests when they pose a potential threat to national security. This situation highlights the delicate balance between freedom of expression and safeguarding societal harmony. (Read more Iraq stories.)
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