Man Who Burned Quran Shot Dead in Sweden

A man known for burning the Quran has been shot dead in Sweden, sparking concerns over rising tensions. 

Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee recognized for publicly burning copies of the Quran, was reportedly shot dead in his apartment in Sodertalje, Sweden. The incident is said to have occurred while he was live streaming on social media. According to local news reports, this happened on Wednesday, a day before he was set to appear in court facing hate speech charges.

Momika, a Syrian Catholic who arrived in Sweden in 2018, attracted global attention by organizing multiple Quran-burning demonstrations within the Nordic nation. These actions prompted protests across various Muslim-majority countries and initiated diplomatic tensions between Sweden and nations such as Iraq, Turkey, and Pakistan since they began in 2023.

In 2023, the Iraqi government requested his extradition, prompting Swedish authorities to initiate deportation proceedings against him.

The attack on Wednesday reportedly happened while the 38-year-old was live-streaming on TikTok. Swedish police have confirmed the arrest of five individuals linked to the killing, though they have not revealed any details about the suspects’ identities or motives. Investigators are currently trying to ascertain if political or religious factors motivated the shooting.

According to media reports, Momika was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday for sentencing related to charges of incitement against an ethnic group due to organizing four Quran burnings.

“The Stockholm District Court has stated that, since one of the defendants is confirmed deceased, the sentence must be revised as it is not possible to convict a person who has died.”

Salwan Najem, another defendant in the case, responded to news of Momik’s murder by asserting that he too might become a target. “I’m next,” Najem posted on X.

In recent years, individuals in various EU countries have been targeted or killed for publicly opposing Islam. In 2020, French teacher Samuel Paty was tragically beheaded after he displayed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a classroom discussion on freedom of expression.

Later that year, a knife attack at a church in Nice resulted in the deaths of three individuals. In 2015, following Charlie Hebdo magazine’s publication of satirical depictions of Muhammad, a terrorist assault on its Paris offices claimed the lives of 12 people.