In the wake of increasing Quran burnings in Sweden, a demonstration outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm led to an angered mob storming the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad and setting it on fire. The incident occurred after an Iraqi migrant, Salwan Momika, stomped on the Quran outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm. The attack on the Swedish embassy was later dispersed by Iraqi riot police using water cannons and security personnel with electric batons.
The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed no harm to embassy staff and condemned the attack, summoning Iraq’s top diplomat in Sweden. In response, Iraq withdrew work permits from the Swedish telecom company Ericsson, accusing it of supporting the Islamic State terror group in the past. The protest has also raised concerns about a potential break in diplomatic relations, with Iraq warning against further Quran burnings on Swedish soil.
Shia firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is believed to be behind the storming of the Swedish embassy. Al-Sadr, a major influential figure in Iraq, has been leading protests at the embassy in recent weeks, expressing his opposition to Iranian interference in Iraqi domestic politics.
Tensions between Sweden and Iraq have elicited reactions from other countries, including Turkey, which had previously demanded Sweden outlaw Quran burnings to gain Turkish approval for joining NATO. The al-Azhar University in Cairo also called for a boycott of Swedish goods in response to the Quran burnings.
The situation remains tense as Sweden and Iraq navigate their diplomatic relations amid the fallout from the Quran burning protest and its broader implications on the international stage.
(With inputs from agencies)
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