An Iraqi man who carried out Quran burnings in Sweden is killed in a shooting

An Iraqi man known for carrying out Quran burnings in Sweden has been found dead in a shooting near Stockholm, authorities confirmed on Thursday.

Salwan Momika, 38, gained notoriety for staging several burnings and desecrations of Islam’s holy book in Sweden in 2023. The videos of these incidents went viral, sparking outrage and protests in Muslim-majority countries around the world.

The Stockholm District Court had a verdict scheduled for Thursday in a trial where Momika was a defendant. However, the proceedings were postponed due to the death of one of the defendants, later confirmed to be Momika. The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear.

Reports from the scene indicated that a shooting took place at an apartment building in Sodertalje, a suburb of Stockholm, on Wednesday night. The victim, identified as Momika, succumbed to his injuries. Five individuals were arrested on suspicion of his murder, with all being adults.

Prosecutor Rasmus Öman stated that the investigation is still in its early stages, with more questioning of suspects and witnesses to follow. Momika, who arrived in Sweden from Iraq in 2018 and was granted a residence permit in 2021, had been a controversial figure due to his anti-Islam demonstrations.

In his defense, Momika claimed that his actions were aimed at criticizing the religion of Islam itself, rather than attacking individual Muslims. He argued that he was trying to protect the Swedish population from what he perceived as harmful messages in the Quran. Despite facing charges of incitement to hatred, Swedish authorities allowed his demonstrations under the banner of freedom of speech.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson highlighted the involvement of Sweden’s security service in the case, suggesting a potential link to foreign entities. Momika’s arrest in Norway last year, where he sought asylum before being returned to Sweden, added another layer of complexity to his legal troubles.

Alongside a co-defendant, Momika was facing charges of incitement to hatred for statements made during the Quran burnings. The trial was expected to conclude on Thursday morning before his untimely death.

The saga of Salwan Momika serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of inflammatory actions in a globalized world, where religious sensitivities can quickly escalate into violence and tragedy.