Third Koran burning triggers promises of action in Denmark and Sweden

At lunchtime on Monday, tourists, shoppers and office workers in Stockholm’s old town found themselves watching the latest episode of Sweden’s provocative summer theatre of Koran burning.

Filmed and watched by a cluster of 50 Swedish journalists, two Iraqi men kicked and burned a copy of the holy book of Islam outside the headquarters of Sweden’s ruling centre-right Moderates party, a short distance from the Riksdag parliament.

As was the case in two previous burnings in Sweden this summer – in front of a Stockholm mosque and outside the Iraqi embassy – the men behind Monday’s action were Iraqi activist Salwan Najem and Salwan Momika, a 48-year-old Christian Iraqi refugee.

“I’m going to carry on burning this until they ban the Koran,” said Najem. “What’s illegal about it? It’s just a bit of paper. Do you know how many threats we have received? Just because of a bit of paper.”

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After an emergency meeting on Monday of its 57 member states, the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) expressed its “disappointment” with Sweden’s response to date, and that of Denmark, where public burnings of the Koran have also taken place.

[ Sweden prepares for reaction to Koran protests ]

[ Protests erupt in Muslim-majority countries over Koran desecration in Sweden ]

“It is unfortunate that the concerned authorities, claiming freedom of expression, continue to provide licences to repeat these acts contrary to international law, and this leads to a lack of respect for religions,” said Hissein Brahim Taha, secretary-general of the OIC.

Last week, it suspended the status of the Swedish representative to the OIC. Iraq has expelled its Swedish ambassador in protest while Iran and has held off appointing a new chief diplomat to Stockholm.

Denmark and Sweden are braced for further protests in the Muslim world, given the previous burnings saw angry mobs picket and storm their embassies in Baghdad.

Security services have warned of a raised threat to Saturday’s Stockholm LGBTQ+ parade.

With memories still fresh of the 2005 Mohammed caricature controversy, Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has signalled plans for a “legal tool” to halt protests that have “significant negative consequences”, in particular in the area of security.

“It is not because we feel pressured to do so,” said Rasmussen, “but we can’t just sit and wait for this to explode.”

While Copenhagen described freedom of expression as one of its society’s “most important values”, in this case it said the aim of burnings has been to insult and provoke reaction.

Despite close contact with Denmark, Sweden is struggling to find an appropriate response to the burnings. Echoing liberal commentators, right-wing parties in office – and a far-right party supporting the government – insist freedom of speech cannot be compromised.

Prime minister Ulf Kristersson said he was anxious to act against states and individuals who were “taking advantage of” what he called Europe’s most tense security situation since the second World War. “It is all about defending our free and open societies, our democracy and our citizens’ right to liberty and security,” he wrote on Instagram.

[ Protesters try to storm Baghdad’s Green Zone over burning of Koran in Denmark ]

[ Turkey condemns burning of Koran during far-right protest in Sweden ]

On Monday, Swedish foreign minister Tobias Billström sent letters to all 57 countries in the OIC condemning Islamophobic acts and explaining Sweden’s right to assembly.

Swedish officials are concerned at how some Muslim-majority countries have implied Stockholm has backed the burnings. In reality, the burnings are classified as political demonstrations which are covered by freedom of expression and assembly rules and require a police permit.

Monday’s latest burning has stirred up further interest in Salwan Momika, after old videos emerged appearing to show him in Iraq talking about leading a Christian militia within the Brigades of Imam Ali.

This organisation was created in 2014 and has been accused of war crimes in its state-backed campaign against the Islamic State terror group.

Sweden’s migration agency has refused to say why it has granted Momika asylum. However, the 48 year old’s application to stay permanently in Sweden has been rejected and his limited residency permit for Sweden expires in a year’s time.

In recent online posts, citing death threats from around the world, Momika has criticised the Swedish authorities for not providing him with greater security.