Current:Home > BackSweden leader says "clear risk" of retaliatory terror attacks as Iran issues threats over Quran desecration-InfoLens
Sweden leader says "clear risk" of retaliatory terror attacks as Iran issues threats over Quran desecration
View Date:2024-12-23 22:16:28
Recent small-scale protests in Sweden's capital that saw a man desecrate Islam's holy book, the Quran, and the prospect of more such demonstrations, have left the Nordic nation torn between upholding its longstanding tradition of freedom of expression and safeguarding residents from potential retaliation from those offended by the acts.
The demonstrations have fueled anger in the Muslim world, and with officials in Iran calling for reprisals, the Swedish government moved this week to enhance its counterterrorism capabilities, instructing 15 government agencies, including its armed forces and various law enforcement bodies, to bolster security measures.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said the measures would enable Sweden to "deter and impede terrorism and violent extremism."
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he was "deeply concerned" as more requests were being submitted to the country's police for permission to hold anti-Muslim protests involving the desecration of Qurans.
"If they are granted, we are going to face some days where there is a clear risk of something serious happening. I am extremely worried about what it could lead to," Kristersson told Swedish news agency TT on Thursday.
He warned that the Swedish Security Service had determined that while the country had long been considered a "legitimate" target for terror attacks by various militant groups and lone actors inspired by them, it was now deemed to be a "prioritized" target.
Animosity toward Sweden in many Muslim nations soared in June, when a Christian Iraqi refugee burned a copy of the Quran outside Stockholm's Grand Mosque on the day of Eid-ul-Adha, the most important festival on the Muslim calendar.
Two weeks later the same man, Salwan Momika, 37, who sought asylum in Sweden a few years ago, staged another protest where he stomped on a Quran and used the Iraqi flag to wipe his shoes outside the Iraqi embassy in the Swedish capital.
For the second time his actions drew scores of angry Iraqi protesters to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, with the crowd managing to breach the compound's perimeter and even set part of it on fire.
Iraq's government cut its diplomatic ties with Stockholm, and many other Muslim nations have summoned Swedish ambassadors in their capitals to formally lodge protests over the demonstrations in Stockholm being permitted.
Iran has taken an even stronger stance, threatening a harsh punishment against the Quran desecrator. Ali Mohammadi-Sirat, the Supreme Leader's man in the IRGC's Quds Force — a special military unit responsible for operations outside Iran's borders — said the man who disrespected the Quran should fear for his life.
According to the exiled dissident news network Iran International, which now bases its operations in Washington, D.C., Mohammadi-Sirat called on Swedish authorities to hand over Momika, stressing that those who insult the Prophet Muhammad and the Quran should face execution.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei echoed the warning, demanding that Sweden hand over the Iraqi refugee.
"The insult to the #HolyQuran in #Sweden is a bitter, conspiratorial, dangerous event," Khamenei said in a social media post. "It is the opinion of all Islamic scholars that those who have insulted the Holy Quran deserve the severest punishment."
Iran International quoted Major Gen. Hossein Salami, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard, as saying that Iran "will not allow those who insult the Quran to have security."
"If someone wants to play with our Quran and religion, we will play with all his world," the opposition outlet quoted Salami as saying. "Sooner or later, the vengeful hand of the 'mujahids' will reach politicians and stage managers behind these sort of crimes, and we will render the highest punishment to the perpetrator."
- In:
- Iraq
- Iran
- islam
- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
- Quran
- Sweden
- Protest
veryGood! (719)
Related
- 5-year-old boy who went missing while parent was napping is found dead near Oregon home, officials say
- Rapper Snoop Dogg to carry Olympic torch ahead of Paris opening ceremony
- Gigi Hadid Gives Her Honest Review of Blake Lively’s Movie It Ends With Us
- Missouri judge overturns wrongful murder conviction of man imprisoned for over 30 years
- New Orleans marks with parade the 64th anniversary of 4 little girls integrating city schools
- Officials release video of officer fatally shooting Sonya Massey in her home after she called 911
- How to play a game and win free Chick-fil-A: What to know about Code Moo
- Kamala Harris' campaign says it raised more than $100 million after launch
- Pedro Pascal's Sister Lux Pascal Debuts Daring Slit on Red Carpet at Gladiator II Premiere
- Pregnant Hailey Bieber Reacts to Justin Bieber Divorce Rumors
Ranking
- What’s the secret to growing strong, healthy nails?
- New Mexico village battered by wildfires in June now digging out from another round of flooding
- U.S. stocks little moved by potential Harris run for president against Trump
- Josh Hartnett Makes Rare Comment About His Kids With Tamsin Egerton
- Up to 20 human skulls found in man's discarded bags, home in New Mexico
- Harris says in first remarks since Biden dropped out of race she's deeply grateful to him for his service to the nation
- Police chief shot dead days after activist, wife and daughter killed in Mexico
- See Claim to Fame Contestant Dedrick’s “Strange” Reaction to Celebrity Relative Guesses
Recommendation
-
Brianna LaPaglia Reacts to Rumors Dave Portnoy Paid Her $10 Million for a Zach Bryan Tell-All
-
'Bachelorette' star's ex is telling all on TikTok: What happens when your ex is everywhere
-
U.S. Navy pilot becomes first American woman to engage and kill an air-to-air contact
-
2024 Olympics: A Guide to All the Couples Competing at the Paris Games
-
Congress is revisiting UFOs: Here's what's happened since last hearing on extraterrestrials
-
How Benny Blanco Celebrated Hottest Chick Selena Gomez on 32nd Birthday
-
Holding out for a hero? Here are the 50 best, from Deadpool to Han Solo
-
Plane crash kills two near EAA Airventure Oshkosh 2024 on first day