Protester sets fire to Quran at Stockholm mosque on Bakrid holiday, faces police action

In an act of protest, a man tore up and set fire to the pages of the Quran outside the central mosque of Stockholm on Wednesday, in an incident which can upset Turkey as Sweden continues to bid to join NATO.

The Swedish police had granted permission for the protest to take place. Later, the man was charged by the police with agitation against a national or ethnic group.

Ankara, whose support is needed by Sweden for getting entry to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, has been offended by multiple demonstrations in Stockholm against Islam and for Kurdish rights.

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Sweden has been seeking membership in NATO in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia last year. However, the process has been held up by the alliance member Turkey, which accuses Sweden of harbouring people who are considered terrorists and seeking their extradition.

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Turkey condemns the protest

In a tweet, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan condemned the act of burning the Quran and said that it was unacceptable to permit anti-Islam protests in the name of freedom of expression.

"It is unacceptable to allow these anti-Islamic actions under the pretext of freedom of expression. Turning a blind eye to such atrocious acts is to be complicit," Fidan wrote on Twitter.

Stockholm police, in its written decision granting permission for the protest, said that the security risks related to the burning "were not of a nature that could justify, under current laws, a decision to reject the request".

37-year-old Salwan Momika, who had fled to Sweden from Iraq several years ago, had requested permission from the police to burn the Muslim holy book "to express my opinion about the Quran".

Before the protest, Momika told news agency TT that he wished to highlight the importance of freedom of speech. "This is democracy. It is in danger if they tell us we can't do this," Momika stated.

"I want to protest in front of the large mosque in Stockholm, and I want to express my opinion about the Quran... I will tear up the Quran and burn it," Momika had earlier stated.

WATCH |Sweden permits Quran burning protests

Protester faces charge of agitation

Amid heavy police presence and with dozen opponents surrounding and shouting at him in Arabic, Momika who was wearing beige trousers and a shirt, addressed the crowd of several dozen people through a megaphone.

Amid the crowd, Momika stomped on the Quran, placed strips of bacon in it, burnt a few pages before slamming it shut, and finally kicked it while waving Swedish flags, AFP correspondents present at the scene reported.

Later, police in a statement said that the protest had not caused "disturbances to order," however, added that they have opened up an investigation regarding "agitation against an ethnic group" since the man had burnt the Quran so close to a mosque.

(With inputs from agencies)

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