After the Islamophobic rally in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, further consequences followed: The Swedish embassy staff was relocated from Baghdad to Stockholm. Nationwide protests are taking place in Iran.
After an attack on the Swedish embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, embassy staff have returned to their Scandinavian home country. The dispatched staff landed in Sweden on a regular flight, and embassy operations were temporarily relocated to Stockholm for security reasons.
Before a planned burning of the Koran near the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, demonstrators stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on Thursday night and set it on fire. It is still unclear how extensive the damage to the embassy building is. During the Islamophobic protest action in Stockholm on Thursday, the Koran was not burned, but was denigrated by a native Iraqi with kicks, among other things.
In Iran, numerous demonstrators took to the streets today. Believers took part in the state-organized and nationwide protests after Friday prayers, state radio reported. Yesterday evening, the Swedish ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry in the capital, Tehran, in a sharp form of diplomatic protest.
In Baghdad protests against the Koran denigration in Stockholm.
Strong criticism from many countries
Strong criticism also came from Turkey: “We condemn the despicable attack on our Holy Book in the strongest possible terms,” the foreign ministry said. “We expect Sweden to take deterrent measures to prevent these hate crimes against Islam and its billions of believers.”
Turkey’s Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said arrest warrants had been issued for politician Rasmus Paludan and nine other suspects who allegedly burned a Koran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm in January. “The Attorney General’s Office has pushed for a full investigation to identify the suspects and gather conclusive information on their identities and evidence of their criminal activities,” he said.
Saudi Arabia also reacted and summoned the Swedish ambassador to Riyadh. The Foreign Ministry announced that a note of protest against the desecration of the Koran had been handed over. Qatar called on the Swedish authorities to “take all necessary measures to prevent such shameful acts”.
Swedish authorities are investigating rabble-rousing
Meanwhile, the Swedish authorities are investigating possible incitement to hatred. A corresponding ad was created and a preliminary investigation led by a public prosecutor had been started, the Stockholm police said.
The person responsible for the action, a native of Iraq, has been under investigation since the Koran was burned on June 28 for possible hate speech and violation of a fire ban.
The man immigrated to Sweden from Iraq. The police wanted to ban similar demonstrations due to security concerns, but have so far failed because of courts that see restrictions on freedom of expression.