Swedish court orders expulsion of Iraqi man behind Qur’an desecration
Sweden’s Migration Court has ordered the deportation of an Iraqi man who desecrated copies of the Holy Qur’an in Stockholm last year.
Salwan Momika, the 37-year-old Iraqi immigrant, stomped on the Qur’an before setting several pages alight in front of Stockholm’s largest mosque in June 2023. The act of sacrilege was made under the authorization and protection of the police.
The incident coincided with the start of the Muslim Eid al-Adha and the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It drew the anger of Muslims across the world.
On Wednesday, local media reported that the Swedish court had confirmed Momika would be deported.
Immigration authorities refused to extend his residence permit last October, but the order for his departure had been delayed for security reasons, Turkey's state news agency Anadolu reported, citing Swedish broadcaster TV4..
Local broadcaster SVT Nyhter said Momika appealed the expulsion decision, but his appeal was rejected.
The court ruling against Momika came after it was determined he had provided false information in his application for asylum.
Days after Momika committed the heinous act, Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein asked his Swedish counterpart Tobias Billstrom to extradite the Iraqi expatriate so that he could be tried according to the Arab country’s laws.
Momika, who is Christian, was initially granted a residence permit in 2021 and has since become known for publicly desecrating the Holy Qur’an on multiple occasions in Sweden.
The Iraqi citizen is no longer eligible for international protection as he is considered to have committed a serious crime.
Following international outcry against the desecration, the Nordic countries deplored the desecration of the Muslim holy book but claimed they cannot prevent it under constitutional laws protecting freedom of speech.
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