The alleged desecration of the Koran in Denmark continues to cause protests in Iraq. Thousands of people took to the streets. In Basra, the buildings of a Danish aid organization were set on fire.
After the alleged burning of the Koran in Denmark, the office of a Danish aid organization was attacked in Iraq. The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) said there had been an “armed attack” on its office in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. The employees present in the office were not injured, but property damage was caused by arson.
Aid workers should “never be the target of violence,” said DRC Middle East director Lilu Thapa. He emphasized that his organization has been active in Iraq for 20 years. She helps communities there that are affected by conflict and displacement, and is also involved in demining in the Basra area.
The alleged burning of the Koran had sparked protests and riots in Iraq – after there had previously been anti-Swedish demonstrations and riots there because of the desecration of the Koran in Stockholm.
Some buildings of the Danish Refugee Council were destroyed by arson.
Assault on the Green Zone
Around a thousand supporters of the influential Shiite leader Moktada Sadr tried to storm the Green Zone in the capital Baghdad in the early hours of the morning, where embassies, the seat of government and parliament are located. According to a security representative, a handful of them actually managed to penetrate the heavily secured zone for a short time.
In the evening there was another protest in Baghdad. More than 1000 people took part. The protesters burned Swedish flags and flags of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. They chanted slogans against the US, Israel, Sweden and Denmark.
alleged Quran burning in Denmark
The protests were triggered by a video posted Friday on the Facebook page of the far-right Danish organization Danske Patrioter, showing a man apparently burning a copy of the Koran and kicking an Iraqi flag.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry denounced the alleged burning of the Koran, but assured the protection of the Danish embassy. Iraq will “not allow what happened to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Sweden to be repeated.”
Iranian leader demands extradition
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that people who desecrated the Koran would face the “severest punishment” and Sweden had “going into combative action against the Muslim world” by supporting those responsible. Khamenei demanded that Sweden extradite them to Islamic countries.
Iran had previously summoned the Danish ambassador to protest against the alleged burning of the Koran. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen called the demonstration in Copenhagen “stupid” by a small group. “It is a shameful act to disregard the religion of others,” he told Danish broadcaster DR. This applies to the burning of Korans as well as other religious symbols.