4 hours ago
Last Updated:February 03, 2025, 19:38 IST
The Swedish-Danish leader’s protest comes a week after the death of activist Salwan Momika and amid the jailing of Momika’s companion Salwan Najem.
Leader of the far-right Danish political party Stram Kurs Rasmus Paludan during a demonstration outside the Turkish embassy. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
Swedish-Danish politician Rasmus Paludan last week set fire to the Quran, the holy book of Muslims. His action was in protest of the murder of Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee living in Sweden.
The campaigner was shot dead last week on the day he had been due to receive his verdict in a parallel case. No suspect has been charged yet in that killing; five people were detained but later released. Sweden’s prime minister has said a foreign state may have been behind it.
The 2023 Koran burnings made the balance between free speech rights and rules protecting ethnic and religious groups into a major issue for Sweden, its Nordic neighbours and other European countries.
“I am standing here with a couple of Qurans at the embassy of Turkey in Copenhagen. As you can see, there is already one burning. This is to commemorate the sacrifice of Salwan Momika and his criticism of Islam. Yesterday, the Copenhagen police decided to ban my protests. The solution is to tell the police you’re having a protest. I had a lot of fun burning this big book…," he said, in a video now going viral on social media.
Media outlets in Iran ran news reports condemning the firebrand leader.
Meanwhile, Salwan Najem, the fellow campaigner of Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, was held guilty on Monday of hate crimes for staging public burnings of the Koran, in a ruling handed down five days after another man also being prosecuted over the incidents was shot dead.
Najem, a Swedish citizen, was given a suspended sentence and fines over the Koran burnings and derogatory comments he made about Muslims in the 2023 incidents, which led to unrest and inspired anger towards Sweden in Muslim countries.
The Stockholm district court said in a statement Najem, 50, and Momika had desecrated the Koran in various ways and made offensive statements directed towards Islam, representatives of the religion and activities in mosques.
Najem was found guilty of hate crimes for “having expressed contempt for the Muslim ethnic group because of their religious beliefs on four occasions", it said.
Najem’s lawyer said he would appeal against the verdict.
“My client considers that his statements fall within the scope of criticism of religion, which is covered by the freedom of expression," he said.
The court had dropped the case against Momika after he was killed.
(with inputs from Reuters)
Location :Copenhagen, Denmark
First Published:February 03, 2025, 19:38 IST
News world Danish Leader Rasmus Paludan Burns Quran To Protest Salwan Momika’s Murder, His Companion’s Jailing
