Salwan Momika, whose actions ignited widespread protests, was shot dead in Stockholm, leading to arrests and international scrutiny.
Shot Dead: Quran Burner’s Death Sparks Fears of International Backlash
Shot Dead: Quran Burner’s Death Sparks Fears of International Backlash
A man infamous for Quran burnings was killed, raising concerns over potential geopolitical consequences.
A man who ignited violent protests by burning a copy of the Quran has been shot dead in Sweden. Reports indicate that Salwan Momika was found deceased in an apartment located in Södertälje, a suburb of Stockholm, on Wednesday evening. Prosecutors confirmed the incident to the BBC.
Following Mr. Momika's provocative actions outside Stockholm's Central Mosque earlier in 2023, unrest erupted, prompting police to arrest five individuals in connection with the shooting that took place just before midnight. Local law enforcement was summoned to the scene after reports of gunfire in the Hovsjö area around 23:11 local time (22:11 GMT). Although Mr. Momika was rushed to a medical facility with multiple gunshot wounds, he succumbed to his injuries the following morning.
Reports from local media suggest that Mr. Momika was livestreaming on social media at the time of the shooting. An Iraqi national residing in Sweden, Momika faced charges of "agitation against an ethnic group" after conducting multiple anti-Islam demonstrations earlier in the summer of 2023, with a verdict originally scheduled for Thursday now delayed due to his untimely death, as noted by the Stockholm District Court.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson acknowledged the involvement of the nation's security services in investigating potential foreign connections to the incident. "There is an apparent risk of ties to external forces," he stated in response to the situation, which has engaged international prominence as it relates to diplomatic tensions.
Mr. Momika’s actions had led to severe reactions in numerous primarily Muslim countries. The Swedish embassy in Baghdad was targeted by protestors on at least two separate occasions, amid rising tensions that also resulted in the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador from the Iraqi capital.
In Denmark, the wave of outrage from Mr. Momika's protests prompted Swedish authorities to openly reassess the allowance of similar demonstrations, particularly those involving the burning of sacred texts, as part of their commitment to assess the country's freedom of speech regulations.
