Global Courant
Stockholm, Sweden – Salwan Momika stepped into view behind rows of police officers outside the picturesque Stockholm Central Mosque waving two Swedish flags as the national anthem blared over a loudspeaker system.
Wearing white AirPods in his ears and a cigarette hanging casually from his mouth, he repeatedly desecrated the Quran by tearing it up and setting it on fire on Wednesday.
Momika, an Iraqi refugee who wanted to ban the Quran in Sweden, also put a strip of bacon on the holy book and started stamping on it with his foot. Another unknown man who was with him addressed the crowd through a megaphone.
It was a scene designed to shock and antagonize the Muslim community celebrating the holiday of Eid al-Adha. Instead, the display was largely mocked, rejected or ignored by about 200 people gathered outside.
Nadine Elkhatib, right, says the incident was ‘extremely disrespectful’, especially on a Muslim holiday (Nils Adler/Al Jazeera)
“I feel sorry for him, not us”
Members of the Muslim community handed out chocolates, chatted with police while Momika spoke in Arabic through a megaphone.
A few people hurled isolated insults at Momika outside the mosque, which stands on a hill in a trendy, bustling area of the Swedish capital, especially when he tried to set fire to the Quran with his cigarette.
Some of the ridiculous remarks brought laughter from the crowd. “Speak Swedish,” some shouted, mocking Momika for waving a Swedish flag but seemingly not speaking the language.
A group of teenage boys repeatedly swore at the two men who were trapped behind a police cordon. A boy then turned to a frowning, towering police officer. “Everything okay?” the boy asked him. “Just hot,” the officer replied with a smile.
The two men who desecrated the Quran were taunted by the crowd even though the atmosphere was calm (Nils Adler/Al Jazeera)
Avsan Mezori, 32, a finance manager in the crowd, said: “I feel sorry for him (Momika), not us”. He added that, as a Muslim, “what I have in me he cannot take; I don’t want to give him attention.”
Husam El Gomati, a political activist originally from Libya, dismissed the act as a “trick” designed to provoke a reaction that could be used to “paint Muslims as violent”.
He said Momika chose the Muslim holiday to “spread hatred”, but added that he was proud of the community for remaining calm and unresponsive.
There were some individuals who further intended to excite the crowd. A woman held up a cross as she criticized some onlookers in rambling monologues.
Ramona Sinko, left, challenges a woman who wanted to disrupt the crowd (Nils Adler/Al Jazeera)
Ramona Sinko, an Orthodox Romanian, berated her in front of the crowd, labeling her a “disgrace to her religion”.
“Can’t we all live side by side like my friend Khaled here?” Sinko said, drawing a grinning man from the crowd toward him. “We are not just friends. We are like brother and sister.”
Police arrested a man as he approached the security cordon with three stones in his hands behind his back.
Officers quickly rushed in, tackled him to the ground and carried him away.
Mosque representatives were disappointed by the police’s decision to authorize the protest during the Muslim holiday, the director of Stockholm’s central mosque and imam Mahmoud Khalfi said on Wednesday.
Police later announced they were investigating one of the men for “agitation against an ethnic group”.
A still from a video of a man allegedly trying to throw stones at those who desecrate the Quran (Nils Adler/Al Jazeera)
Swedish NATO bid in jeopardy?
Turkey has blocked Sweden’s application for NATO membership, accusing the Nordic nation of harboring people it considers “terrorists” and demanding their extradition.
Earlier this year, Rasmus Paludan, a far-right politician, burned a Quran in Stockholm near the Turkish embassy, exacerbating tensions between the two nations.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Swedish leaders at the time: “If you do not show respect for the religious beliefs of the Republic of Turkey or Muslims, you will not receive any support for NATO from us.”
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson declined to comment on whether the latest stunt would further damage relations with Turkey and threaten NATO membership.
“It’s legal, but not appropriate,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday, adding that it’s up to the police to make decisions about Quran burnings.
Swedish police have rejected several recent applications for anti-Koran rallies, but courts have overturned the decisions, saying they infringed on the right to freedom of expression.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan criticized Wednesday’s incident, saying it was unacceptable to allow anti-Islam protests in the name of freedom of expression. “To close one’s eyes to such heinous acts is to be an accomplice,” he said on Twitter.
Violation of the Holy Quran in Sweden
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan condemns the burning of copies of Islam’s holy book, saying “It is unacceptable to allow these actions under the pretext of freedom of expression” pic.twitter.com/TPuqfImWTS
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) June 28, 2023
Sweden’s NATO membership application – submitted a year ago along with Finland’s as Russia’s war against Ukraine raged – is being blocked by alliance members Turkey and Hungary. New members must be unanimously approved by all existing NATO members.
The US State Department rejected the burning of the Quran and called on Turkey to approve Sweden’s NATO offer.
“Burning religious texts is disrespectful and offensive, and what is legal is certainly not necessarily appropriate,” spokesman Vedant Patel said.
“In broad terms, we continue to encourage Hungary and Turkey to ratify Sweden’s accession protocol without delay.”
Ali Harb in Washington, DC contributed to this report.
