Iraqi refugee known for burning Quran gets shot dead in Sweden
(MENAFN) Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee known for publicly burning copies of the Quran, was shot and killed in his apartment in Södertälje, Sweden, reportedly while live-streaming on social media. The attack occurred on Wednesday, just one day before he was set to appear in court on hate speech charges.
Momika, a Syrian Catholic who arrived in Sweden in 2018, attracted global attention for his Quran-burning protests, which began in 2023. These demonstrations led to protests in several Muslim-majority countries and strained diplomatic relations between Sweden and nations such as Iraq, Turkey, and Pakistan. The Iraqi government had called for his extradition, and Swedish authorities initiated deportation proceedings against him in 2023.
The shooting, which took place while Momika was broadcasting on TikTok, prompted Swedish police to arrest five individuals in connection with the killing. However, details about the suspects and their motives remain undisclosed. Investigators are working to determine whether the attack was politically or religiously motivated.
Momika was scheduled to appear in court the following day for sentencing in a case involving incitement against an ethnic group after staging multiple Quran burnings. In response to the news of his death, Salwan Najem, another defendant in the case, suggested that he might be the next target, writing on social media, "I’m next."
This incident adds to a growing list of individuals in European countries who have been targeted or killed for opposing Islam. Notable past incidents include the 2020 beheading of French teacher Samuel Paty, the knife attack in Nice that killed three people, and the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris.
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