Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, 37, burned the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm on the first day of Eid al-Adha on Wednesday. He stomped on the holy book and placed bacon - the consumption of which is forbidden in Islam - between the pages, before lighting a few pages on fire and kicking it around like a football while raising the Swedish flag.
In response, Sadr called for a million-man demonstration, but only several thousands of his supporters took to the streets on Friday, changing “Yes, yes to the Quran,” a day after protestors stormed the Swedish embassy, entering the courtyard but causing no damage.
“International channels published and broadcasted news of the demonstration of Iraqis who demonstrated for the sake of the Quran and for the sake of stopping immorality … not for demands that are political, worldly, or even service … or for the sake of government corruption,” said Salih Mohammed al-Iraqi, who introduces himself as Sadr’s “minister” and acts as a spokesperson for the Sadrist Movement.
“As for the militia and government channels, especially the Shiite ones, they have turned a blind eye to it. Curse those channels that turn a blind eye to supporting religion,” he continued, saying that the Shiite channels owned by Iranian-backed Iraqi politicians would have covered the protests if their “masters” ordered them and not Sadr.
Police blocked the road to the embassy and Friday’s protest took place on nearby streets.
The committee supervising demonstrations of the Sadrist Movement published a set of guidelines on Friday for those attending the demonstrations, stating that the protestors were forbidden from covering their faces, holding up flags of Sadr’s Saraya al-Salam militia, or burning the Swedish flag, calling only for burning the LGBTQ+ flag.
The Sadr supporters’ protest was in response to the cleric’s call a day earlier for “angry” demonstrations in front of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. He has also demanded that Baghdad severs its ties with Sweden and withdraws the Iraqi nationality from Momika.
The Iraqi government, judiciary, presidency and foreign ministry have condemned the burning of the Quran, with the judiciary stating that it will launch procedures to request the extradition of Momika.
On Saturday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein called on the Swedish government to extradite Momika to the Iraqi government for legal procedures to be taken against him according to Iraqi law, in a phone call with his Swedish counterpart Tobias Billstrom.
In response, Billstrom expressed Sweden’s “condemnation of this action” and “deep regret” for the burning, saying Stockholm “fully understands” that Muslims in Sweden and worldwide were offended by the events that unfolded.
Spokesperson for Iraq's foreign ministry Ahmed al-Sahaf on Friday said the ministry had received a letter from their Swedish counterparts condemning Momika’s actions and stating that police have begun an investigation into whether he violated Sweden’s hate crime law.
Sadr’s movement is not a part of the current Iraqi government but the influential cleric remains revered with the Iraqi public and commands massive influence in the streets.
