Sweden Prosecuting Two Men for Quran Burning

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Facts

  • The Swedish Prosecution Authority (SPA) announced Wednesday that two men, Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem, will be prosecuted on 'offences of agitation against an ethnic or national group' after the pair were seen burning the Quran last year.[1]
  • The men, one of whom is a Christian Iraqi, were seen setting fire to the Islamic holy book on video and in person at protests, including at a mosque in Stockholm. Besides desecrating and burning the books, they're also accused of disparaging Muslims.[1][2]
  • In response, one of the men's lawyers argued that his 'client's' actions were 'protected by the Swedish constitution,' which establishes freedoms of speech and assembly.[3]
  • Sweden's migration authority wanted to deport Momika last year but decided against it due to fears that he would be tortured upon returning to his home country.[4]
  • Last year, in Iraq, protesters stormed the Swedish embassy and set fires inside, prompting Sweden to raise its threat level.[3]
  • This follows similar prosecutions, including against a Swedish-Danish right-wing activist earlier this month for actions committed in 2022, as well as the conviction of a man last year for burning the Quran in 2020.[2]

Sources: [1]Reuters, [2]Daily Sabah, [3]Dw.Com and [4]Middleeastmonitor.

Narratives

  • Left narrative, as provided by Bridge Initiative. Burning the Quran is not protected under free speech, as it's clearly been used by far-right activists and others to insult and provoke Muslims. Europe has laws against several other speech-adjacent acts, such as Holocaust denial and defaming royal families, which are intended to incite hatred against certain groups of people. Burning the Quran is no different under the law.