Quran Burnt In Yet Another Protest In Sweden Outside Stockholm Parliament
Sparking tension between Sweden and Muslim nations, two men set Quran alight at a protest outside Swedish Parliament in Stockholm on Monday.
New Delhi: Sparking tension between Sweden and Muslim nations, two men on Monday set Quran alight at a protest outside Swedish Parliament in Stockholm, the third such demonstration in recent weeks, news agency AFP reported.
In a similar incident in June, Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem had stomped on the Muslim holy book, set its pages ablaze before slamming it shut at a protest outside Stockholm's main mosque, sparking outrage across the Middle East.
The duo also staged a similar protest outside Iraq's embassy in Stockholm on July 20, where they stomped on the religious text but did not burn it.
Swedish police granted a permit for the protest by campaigners hoping to see Quran banned in the country, according to AFP.
"I want to protest in front in front of Sweden's parliament and demand that the Koran be banned," organiser Najem wrote in the application, which was viewed by AFP.
As at earlier protests, Momika and Najem were the only participants, with a small group of counter-protesters gathering outside the police cordon, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.
Mats Eriksson, a spokesman for the Stockholm police, told AFP that the event "had been conducted without any serious public order disturbances".
During the protest, Momika also stomped on a picture of Shiite Muslim cleric and political leader Moqtada Sadr -- whose followers had stormed Sweden's embassy in Baghdad in response to previous desecrations. They had started fires within the compound the night before the July protest.
The Iraqi prime minister and the president "vehemently condemned the repeated acts of desecration" of the Quran.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose support is crucial for Sweden's bid to join the NATO defence alliance, has also expressed deep anger at the Quran burnings.
Sweden has already seen its diplomatic relations with several Middle Eastern nations strained over previous protests involving Quran desecrations.
Both previous protests have led to widespread outrage and condemnations.
Trending News
Top Headlines
