Swedish government authorities have allowed an Iraqi citizen residing on its territory, by the name of Salwan Najm, to burn a copy of the Holy Qur’an under police protection on Friday.
Media sources said that Najm burned the Quran copy in front of the Grand Fatya Mosque, which is run by the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.
According to the sources, Najm, who arrived in front of the mosque amid intense police guard, threw a copy of the Quran on the ground and trampled on it, despite the reactions of people around him.
He then tore the copy before burning it, after which he left the place in an armoured police car.
In a statement, the head of the Fatya Grand Mosque Association, Ismail Okor, said that they would respond to this provocative act by reading the sermon in four languages and reciting the Qur’an in a way that can be heard from outside the mosque.
This marks at least the third time in just a few months that the Qur’an was desecrated in Sweden, usually taking place with full permission and protection by the government.
