Outrage over man who desecrated Quran prompts protesters to set Swedish Embassy in Iraq on fire

CBS News ^ | 07/20/2023

[SeekAndFind]

Protesters angered by the planned burning of a copy of the Quran by an Iraqi man in Sweden stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad, overrunning the diplomatic compound and starting a fire Thursday.

Hours later, Iraq's prime minister cut diplomatic ties with Sweden in protest over the desecration of the Islamic holy book.

Protesters stormed the diplomatic post early Thursday, waving flags and signs showing the influential Iraqi Shiite cleric and political leader Muqtada al-Sadr, and set a small fire. The attack on the embassy came ahead of a planned burning of the Quran in Stockholm by an Iraqi asylum-seeker who burned a copy of the Islamic holy book during a previous demonstration last month.

Following the incident, the Swedish Embassy announced it had closed to visitors, without specifying when it would reopen.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement after meeting with security officials that Iraqi authorities would prosecute those responsible for the arson as well as referring "negligent security officials" for investigation.

However, the statement also said that the Iraqi government had informed its Swedish counterpart on Wednesday that Iraq would cut off diplomatic relations should the Quran burning go forward.

Hours later, Sudani announced he had ordered the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador from Iraq and the withdrawal of the Iraqi charge d'affaires from Sweden.

The announcement came after two men held an anti-Islam protest on a lawn about 300 feet from the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm. One of them, identified by Swedish media as Salwan Momika, Iraqi of Christian origin who lives in Sweden as a self-identified atheist, stepped on and kicked the Quran, but didn't set it on fire.

[SeekAndFind]

Momika also stepped on and kicked an Iraqi flag, as well as photographs of al-Sadr and of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Protesters scale a wall at the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad Thursday, July 20, 2023. Protesters angered by the planned burning of a copy of the Quran stormed the embassy early Thursday, breaking into the compound and lighting a small fire.

[SeekAndFind]

For those who don't remember....

Muqtada Al-Sadr, the son of a prominent Shiite cleric assassinated in a 1999 attack believed to be organized by Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, quickly organized Shiite dispossessed under Saddam against the American occupation after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

Saddam loyalists and Shiite extremists alike would soon fight an insurgency against the American forces. Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia fought American forces throughout much of 2004 in Baghdad and other cities. Al-Sadr's forces are believed to have later taken part in the sectarian killings between Shiites and Sunnis that plagued Iraq for several years after the bombing of one of the holiest sites in Shiite Islam.

Since that time, much has changed.

Al-Sadr's followers have taken part in Iraqi military offensives against the Islamic State group in Tikrit and other cities. He has organized rallies against government corruption, including breaching the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad, the highly secure area housing government offices and many foreign embassies.

[Organic Panic]

There is a reason these people live in s holes. They like it. Leave them be and just keep an “iron dome” to keep them in their s holes.

[Reno89519]

I thought they already burned it down a week or several ago.

[Gen.Blather]

Sweden has been a very pro Islam country. It has been a stupid policy and has led to rapes, murders and beatings in Sweden. It’s time for Sweden and the rest of the formerly Christian world to divorce itself from the Middle East and the religion of Satan.

But, the Swedes are ruled by Leftists and Leftists don’t have to live with the policies they promulgate on the actual people of Sweden. They live in gated communities. Their children attend expensive private schools. When they need medical care, they just pay for it. The maid deals with any errands outside the home where they might have had contact with the horror they are forcing on the normal citizens. Fine. Let the embassy burn. Sweden will apologize and throw more money into the infinite hole of the Middle East.

[Tell It Right]

When Muslims attack embassies without repercussions, they attack bigger things.

[Reverend Wright]

Sweden made a major change to immigration policy and enforcement in late 2022, after the Swedish Democrats joined the government.

(unlike GOPe politicians with their big talk, Sweden is actually doing something)

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2022-12-30/sweden-once-welcoming-to-immigrants-shifts-course

[Antioch]

Is the point of burning another culture’s sacred scriptures to induce them to hate us or to promote “free speech” and ”democracy”? I don’t get it.

[MeganC]

Islam is as Islam does.

[Boogieman]

I’m not sure why Western countries even bother to keep embassies in muslim countries. Seems like a liability more than anything else.

I guess the CIA still needs the pied-a-terre though.

[Levy78]

We killed a whole bunch of his Al-Sadr army guys. Black clad with green bandanas.

[BenLurkin]

[Reverend Wright]

Why even have embassies in these moronic countries.

Just creates the potential for future hostage takings.

[lightman]

Hoe boy...Friday is coming.

[Jacquerie]

‘Eff all muzzies.

To view our future, look at France and the UK. They are muzzie sh!tholes.

Just keep voting. Pretend it matters.

[nickcarraway]

Are they allowed to desecrate the Bible?