Sweden to prosecute two men over Qur’an burnings

Swedish prosecutors said on Wednesday that they plan to put two men on trial for setting fire to copies of the Qur’an in a series of incidents last year that prompted outrage in the Muslim world and raised fears of attacks by jihadists, Reuters has reported.

The two men committed “offences of agitation against an ethnic or national group” on four separate occasions when burning Islam’s holy book outside a mosque and in other public places, explained the Swedish Prosecution Authority.

Sweden’s domestic security service raised its terrorism alert level as a result of the burnings, while neighbouring Denmark, which also saw a spate of Qur’an burnings, tightened its legislation to outlaw the practice.

“Both men are [being] prosecuted for having on these four occasions made statements and treated the Qur’an in a manner intended to express contempt for Muslims because of their faith,” said Senior Prosecutor Anna Hankkio.

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Most Muslims would describe desecrating the Qur’an, which they believe to be the literal word of God, as a grave offence.

Evidence against the two men, named as Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem, consisted largely of video recordings, Hankkio pointed out.

Najem denied any wrongdoing, his lawyer Mark Safaryan told Reuters on Wednesday. “The permit granted in connection with the demonstration is covered by my client’s intent,” he claimed. “His rights are protected by the Swedish constitution.”

The lawyer acting for Momika did not immediately respond to requests from the agency for comment. Momika, a refugee from Iraq, has said that he wanted to protest against the institution of Islam and to ban its holy book.

Sweden’s migration agency has said it wanted to deport Momika due to false information on his application for residency, but that the order would not be carried out because he was at risk of torture in his home country.

Critics have said that Sweden and Denmark, two of the most liberal countries in the world, should treat Qur’an burnings as a form of free speech protected by law.

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