“BAGHDAD — Protesters Storm Swedish Embassy in Baghdad Over Quran Burning Incident
Protesters outraged by an Iraqi man’s threat to burn a copy of the Quran in Sweden breached the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad on Thursday morning, causing extensive damage and setting fire to the compound. Iraq’s prime minister responded by severing diplomatic ties with Sweden in protest of the desecration of the Islamic holy book.
The protesters occupied the embassy for several hours, waving flags and signs featuring the influential Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The embassy staff had been evacuated the day before the incident. The attack occurred in response to an Iraqi asylum-seeker who burned a Quran during a demonstration in Stockholm the previous month. Although he did not set fire to the book, the threat had stirred anger among the protesters.
Following the eviction of the protesters from the Swedish Embassy, the diplomats closed the compound to visitors without specifying when it would reopen. The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, issued a statement after a meeting with security officials, promising to prosecute those responsible for the fire and investigating the “negligent security officials.”
In addition to cutting diplomatic relations, Iraq announced the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador from Iraq and the withdrawal of the Iraqi charge d’affaires from Sweden. The protest in Stockholm saw two individuals display anti-Islam sentiments, with one of them identified as an Iraqi Christian living in Sweden as an atheist. This individual stomped and kicked the Quran, as well as an Iraqi flag and photographs of Muqtada al-Sadr and Iran’s supreme leader.
In response to the attack, the head of Iraq’s Media and Communications Commission suspended the license of Swedish communications company Ericsson to operate in Iraq, while the Ministry of Communications announced the severing of its dealings with Swedish companies.
Video footage captured dozens of men climbing over the fence surrounding the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad before attempting to break down a door and setting a fire inside the compound. Some demonstrators stayed at the site while sunrise saw the arrival of police, security officials, and firefighters trying to extinguish the flames.
During the protest, an Associated Press photographer and two Reuters staff members were arrested, but they were later released without charges. The Swedish Foreign Ministry assured the safety of its staff, condemning the attack and emphasizing that it is the responsibility of Iraqi authorities to protect diplomatic missions and personnel.
Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström announced that Iraq’s charge d’affaires in Stockholm would be summoned. The Finnish Embassy, adjacent to the Swedish Embassy, evacuated its staff along with the Swedish Embassy staff due to safety concerns.
Meanwhile, the Stockholm police granted permission for a demonstration involving two individuals outside the Iraqi Embassy, but it was unclear if the protesters intended to burn the Quran.
Quran burnings have historically sparked protests across the Muslim world, with some turning violent. The recent Quran burning in Afghanistan resulted in the Taliban suspending activities of Swedish organizations in the country.
This incident marks the second time the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad has been stormed regarding a Quran burning. Back in June, supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr stormed the embassy in response to a similar incident. Al-Sadr, a prominent Shiite cleric and political leader in Iraq, has been involved in various military offensives and anti-government rallies in recent years.
In a televised speech, al-Sadr called on other Arab and Muslim nations to take action against Quran burnings and ridiculed the statement released by the United States condemning the embassy attack.
The investigation to identify the perpetrators and hold them accountable is still ongoing, as Iraq’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack and promised accountability without revealing the details of the breach or the assailants.”
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