Iraq has expelled Swedish ambassador as Quran row escalates. What is it? | EXPLAINED

As tensions boiled over the desecration of Quran in Sweden, Iraq's Prime Minister on Thursday ordered the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador from the country, while also withdrawing the Iraqi charge d'affaires from Sweden.

The decision came hours after angry protesters stormed into the Swedish embassy in Baghdad over the desecration of the Quran, breaking into the compound and lighting a small fire.

Iraqi PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said that all persons responsible for the incident will be prosecuted by authorities, while mentioning 'negligent security officials' for investigation. However, he said that he informed the Swedish PM a day before that Iraq would cut off diplomatic relations should the Quran burning go forward.

The expulsion of the Swedish ambassador came after the second incident of desecration of the Holy Quran involving Salwan Momika, an Iraqi Christian. Momika on Thursday stepped on and kicked a copy of the Quran outside the Iraqi Embassy.

Outrage over the Quran-burning incident

Momika was seen desecrating the Holy Quran in Stockholm, Sweden's capital late June, around the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. Initially, the Swedish authorities had rejected the protestors' demand saying the burning “may have foreign policy consequences,” but the security risks and potential ramifications linked to the protest did not allow for the application to be rejected, as per Swedish law.

Sweden's court later overruled the police decision noting the protection of freedom of speech in their reasoning. This stems from the fact that Sweden strongly favours the right to hold public demonstrations. Yet, the police also said that they "do not give permission for different actions", but only for public meetings. 

After this, Momika was seen tearing up and burning a copy of the Quran near a mosque in Stockholm. This triggered massive outrage among Muslim countries, as the Quran is the most sacred religious text. The incident complicated Sweden's efforts to convince Turkey to let it join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).

Reactions of Muslim countries

Most Muslim countries blamed Sweden for allowing freedom of expression to insult religious beliefs of people. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had then warned Stockholm that he would not support the NATO bid if it failed to respect Muslims. Subsequently, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Kuwait also denounced the action.

Soon after the Quran-burning incident, hundreds of people barged into the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on Thursday to protest against the incident. The protesters included followers of the political leader and Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Swedish ambassadors in Saudi Arabia and Iran were summoned to lodge a formal protest against the Quran-burning. The Taliban government in Afghanistan suspended all the activities of Swedish organisations in the country  The Pakistan government also announced countrywide protests over the incident. A resolution condemning the desecration of the Holy Quran was also passed by a joint parliamentary session.

Meanwhile, soon after the Thursday protest, Iraq's Media and Communications Commission announced the suspension of the license of Swedish communications company Ericsson in the country.

Global reactions

Last week, the United Nations Human Rights Council had approved a resolution that called for countries to prevent religious hatred. However, the resolution was passed over divided opinions from the United States and the United Kingdom over fears of curtailing freedom of expression.

The Ambassadors of the US and UK, in an urgent hearing at the UNHRC, had said that they will oppose the draft resolution on religious hatred, saying that freedom of expression should not be curtailed and that religious defamation laws have paved the way for mass censorship and legitimate expression being silenced.

Further escalation of crisis

Many protests have been planned, including one in Baghdad on Friday, over the second case of desecration of the Quran in Sweden. Many countries are mulling cutting diplomatic ties with Sweden. Similar demonstrations have been planned in Iran and Lebanon.

Amid widespread criticism, the Swedish police on July 14 also allowed a protest involving the burning of Jewish religious book the Torah and the Bible outside the Israeli embassy in Stockholm. The move was condemned by Israeli leaders including President Isaac Herzog and Foreign Minister Eli Cohen. The protest was later called off.

The Council of Swedish Jewish Communities also criticised the decision to allow the protest, saying that “our tragic European history links the burning of Jewish books with pogroms, expulsions, inquisitions and the Holocaust.”

These incidents have sparked a major debate about Sweden's policies on freedom of expressions. While the US continues to back such freedom in wake of the latest protest in Baghdad, it appears that last month's protest has deeply soured Sweden's relations with the Middle East and other Muslim nations.

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