Protestors set Swedish embassy in Iraq on fire ahead of Quran burning
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It remains unknown whether the building was empty at the time of the attack as Iraq's foreign ministry condemned setting the building on fire and called on security forces to identify the protestors.
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Protestors in front of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on Thursday, July 20, 2023 (AFP)
AFP confirms that Sweden's embassy in Iraq has been set on fire by protesters on Thursday ahead of a planned burning of the Quran in Sweden.
This news comes as Swedish authorities approved convening later on Thursday outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, where organizers planned to burn a copy of the Quran and an Iraqi flag.
According to Swedish media, an Iraqi refugee in Sweden Salwan Momika, organised the event in Stockholm on Thursday.
It is reported that the protest in Baghdad was organized by supporters of the leader of the Iraqi Sadrist Movement Muqtada Al-Sadr, whereby riot police fired water cannons to disperse demonstrators alongside security forces who were armed with electric batons.
Read more: Swedish Police drop Quran burner's security privileges
Protester Hassan Ahmed told AFP: "We are mobilized today to denounce the burning of the Koran, which is all about love and faith," adding: "We demand that the Swedish government and the Iraqi government stop this type of initiative."
A demonstrator told AFP on Thursday: "We didn't wait until morning, we broke in at dawn and set fire to the Swedish embassy".
In response, Sweden's foreign ministry relayed to AFP that its embassy staff in Baghdad were "safe" and released a statement in which it said: "The Iraqi authorities are responsible for the protection of diplomatic missions and their staff".
Per the ministry, the attacks on embassies and diplomats "constitute a serious violation of the Vienna Convention".
A notorious record
AFP states that several trucks arrived to extinguish the fire at the embassy that also witnessed clashes between Iraqi security forces and demonstrators.
It remains unknown whether the building was empty at the time of the attack as Iraq's foreign ministry condemned setting the building on fire and called on security forces to identify the protestors.
"The Iraqi government has instructed the relevant security services to conduct an urgent investigation and take all necessary measures to uncover the circumstances of the incident and identify the perpetrators," the ministry said in a statement.
Momika is notoriously known for burning a copy of the Quran in front of Stockholm's largest mosque on June 28 during Eid al-Adha, a holiday celebrated by Muslims around the world. He was granted a permit by Swedish authorities to do so.
Earlier this month, the Iranian Ministry of Security has revealed details about the relationship between Israeli intelligence and Momika. Momika was born in Iraq in 1986 and started working for the Israeli Mossad in 2019, a statement from the Iranian Ministry of Security said.
The #Iranian Ministry of Security has revealed details about the relationship between Israeli intelligence and the individual who desecrated the Holy Quran in #Sweden, Salwan Momika. pic.twitter.com/dNQ0NPqqPU
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 11, 2023
