Mass rallies took place on Saturday in protest of the desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark and the attempts to insult Iraq and religious sanctities.

Demonstrations ignited in the streets of Baghdad as protestors responded to the rallying cry of the coordinating framework, calling for a mass display of dissent against the recent desecration of religious sanctities.

The central square of the capital witnessed a fervent gathering as protesters set ablaze the Swedish national flag while proudly hoisting the Iraqi flag in its place.

#AlMayadeen correspondent in #Baghdad: A massive protest is taking place right now in the city against the desecration of the Holy #Quran. #Iraq https://t.co/LXf51mkZfq

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 22, 2023

The leader of the Fatah Alliance, Hadi Al-Amiri, stood at the forefront of the massive public demonstration, passionately defending the sacredness of the Holy Quran.

He also stressed the need for unity among believers worldwide in countering any form of disrespect or aggression against revered religious symbols.

Consequently, diplomatic relations between Iraq and Sweden suffered a severe blow as the Iraqi government took decisive action. Following the Prime Minister's request, the Iraqi Chargé d'Affaires in Sweden promptly departed from the Scandinavian nation.

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Additionally, Iraq expelled the Swedish ambassador and severed its ties with Stockholm in response to the repeated Quran burnings in Sweden, which were permitted by the Swedish government.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani directed the Iraqi foreign ministry to summon the Iraqi Chargé d'Affaires in Stockholm over the Swedish violations.

Moreover, the head of the media association in Iraq suspended the license of Swedish telecom company Ericsson on Iraqi soil following the Quran burning.

The Iraqi government said that these provocative acts are in violation of international conventions and norms with respect to religions and beliefs constitute a threat to peace and incite a culture of violence and hatred.

After hundreds of people stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad and set it ablaze in protest over plans for burning a copy of the Quran in Stockholm on Thursday, Iraq warned Sweden that it would sever diplomatic relations if a Quran is burned again.

The Iraqi government swiftly condemned the burning of the Swedish embassy, with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani saying in a statement that the action was a security breach while vowing to provide needed protection for diplomatic missions.

The statement, however, also revealed that Baghdad "informed the Swedish government [...] that any recurrence of the incident involving the burning of the Holy Quran on Swedish soil would necessitate severing diplomatic relations."

The Swedish authorities approved a protest on Thursday outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm whose organizers planned to burn a copy of the Quran and an Iraqi flag.  

Swedish media said Salwan Momika, who had previously burned a copy of the Quran on the Muslim Eid Al-Adha holiday and caused international outrage, organized the event in Stockholm on Thursday. In the wake of the news, Sweden's embassy in Iraq was set on fire by protesters ahead of a planned burning of the Quran in Sweden.