The Muslim community around the world witnessed the Holy Quran being publicly disrespected in another disturbing event in Sweden’s capital, Stockholm.
Two men, Salwan Momika, 37, and Salwan Najem, 48, burned Holy Quran’s pages and chanted Islamophobic remarks in front of the Royal Palace.
This is not the first time they have committed this hateful act. A few weeks prior, they burned the Holy Quran at the same spot, misusing Sweden’s freedom of speech law.
This time, many Muslims attempted to stop them, drowning out their voices with their own megaphones. Some even tried to physically stop them, however, Swedish Police, protected their right to “hate speech,” in the so-called liberal country.
Momika, an Iraqi Christian refugee in Sweden, previously burnt the Holy Quran on the day of Eid al-Adha right outside the Stockholm Mosque.
Not stopping there, he later protested outside the Iraqi embassy, disrespecting the Quran, but did not set it ablaze at that time. Both actions drew widespread condemnation.
These actions are not isolated. Northern European countries have recently seen a troubling rise in Islamophobic acts led by anti-Muslim groups or individuals.
These incidents are straining Sweden’s diplomatic ties. Even though the Swedish Police has, controversially, granted permits for such protests, many international voices are rising in concern.
Türkiye, for instance, has urged countries to reconsider actions that seem to be veiled attacks on Islam under the banner of “freedom of expression.”
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the European Union (EU) have also expressed their dissent, calling for respect toward religious sanctities.