In-focus

Another incident of Holy Quran's desecration reported in Sweden

Another incident of Holy Quran's desecration reported in Sweden

Pakistan

Another incident of Holy Quran’s desecration reported in Sweden

STOCKHOLM (Web Desk) – Another incident of desecration of the Holy Quran took place outside the Swedish Royal Palace in the capital Stockholm amid a heavy police presence.

The incident, took place on Monday, marked the second time in a matter of weeks that Salwan Momika, 37, and Salwan Najem, 48, have desecrated the Holy Quran.

Momika, an Iraqi refugee based in Sweden, has been involved in multiple such incidents, the last being on July 31, when he and another man desecrated the Holy Quran outside the Swedish parliament.

The act – permitted under Sweden’s freedom of speech laws – took place at Mynttorget, a central square surrounded by government buildings and the palace.

Momika and Najem engaged in a prolonged, theatrical and now familiar desecration of the Quran while using a megaphone to goad counterprotesters, the report said.

Present among the crowd was a group wearing firefighter-themed outfits whose members chanted “extinguish the hate” while handing out plastic firefighter hats and encouraging onlookers to speak into their megaphones.

The criminals faced a reaction from a group of Swedish activists, who asked them to stop the provocative act.

The duo also staged a similar protest outside Iraq’s embassy in the Swedish capital on July 20, where they desecrated the holy book.

The incidents have drawn strong reactions across the Muslim world, with several nations, including Pakistan, condemning the acts at international forums.

Former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif also condemned the incident.