Sadr blasts US congressional candidate, ‘West’ over Quran desecration

Rudaw

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Influential Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Wednesday condemned US congressional candidate Valentina Gomez for burning a copy of the Quran as part of her electoral campaign, also criticizing the silence of fellow Muslims regarding the “heinous act.”

Gomez, a far-right Republican candidate from Texas, appeared in a widely circulated video where she declared her intent to “stop Islam once and for all” if elected. In the video, she is seen using a flamethrower to set the Muslim holy book alight, stating, “We’re done turning the other cheek... America is a Christian nation.”

The Iraqi cleric and head of the National Shiite Movement - formerly known as the Sadrist Movement - as a symbol of “deep-seated hatred toward the heavenly religion of Islam.” He further accused “the West” of adopting “double standards” when it comes to free speech and religious rights.

“What is against you is forbidden, and what is against those you consider your enemies is permissible,” he wrote in a statement on X.


The Iraqi cleric also criticized his Muslim counterparts for their silence in the face of what he called a “heinous criminal act that incites hatred and infringes upon the feelings and beliefs of millions.”

This is not the first time Sadr has spoken out against Quran desecration.

In summer 2023, Iraqi asylum seeker Salwan Momika burned several copies of the Muslim holy book in the Swedish capital Stockholm. He further desecrated the Iraqi flag and stomped on images of both Sadr and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The Iraqi cleric then responded by accusing Sweden of “crossing diplomatic lines” for allowing such acts, saying it amounted to a “declaration of its enmity towards Iraq.” Hours later, his followers later stormed the heavily-fortified Green Zone in Baghdad - where diplomatic missions and government offices are largely headquartered - setting the Swedish embassy ablaze.

In the wake of the uproar, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani recalled Iraq’s acting ambassador from Stockholm, while Sweden called on Baghdad to “uphold its responsibilities in protecting diplomatic missions and personnel.”

Iraq formally severed diplomatic ties with Sweden in July 2023 over the repeated burnings, only beginning to ease tensions in March this year after nearly a year of strained relations.

Similar incidents occurred around the same time in Denmark.

A group calling itself the “Danish Patriots” burned a copy of the Quran outside the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen, and again outside the Egyptian and Turkish embassies the following day.

The latter actions sparked further outrage in Iraq as protesters attempted to storm the Danish embassy in Baghdad, while others set fire to the Danish Refugee Council’s office in the southern city of Basra.