The Koran burnings

Salwan Momika during the campaign. Stefan Jerrevång/TT  

The Koran burnings  

Momika: Will burn the Koran outside the Iraqi embassy 

 

Salwan Momika, who caused great anger in the Muslim world with his Koran burning in Stockholm, counted on the reactions in his native Iraq. He says that to Expressen. 

 

- I expected that both Muqtada al-Sadr and also others would react in the same way as al-Sadr. Most of the threats I get are from his followers. 

 

It was at the urging of the Shiite leader al-Sadr that a crowd stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on Thursday.  

 

Momika, who is being investigated for incitement against a ethnic group, says that "within ten days" he plans to burn the Iraqi flag and the Koran outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm. 

 

* Iraq recalls ambassador - condemnations across the Muslim world  

 

Iraq's foreign minister has summoned Sweden's ambassador to protest against Wednesday's Koran burning in Stockholm, Reuters reports.  

 

It happens just hours after the Swedish embassy in Baghdad was stormed by angry protesters. 

 

A number of countries in the Muslim world have condemned and taken diplomatic measures against Sweden after the incident, according to AFP.  

 

Morocco has recalled its ambassador, and in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates the Swedish ambassadors have been recalled.  

 

Condemnations have come from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt.  

 

The Arab League, a cooperative organization with 22 member countries, calls the Koran burning "an attack on the core of our Muslim faith."  

 

Salwan Momika, who arranged the Koran burning, is being investigated for incitement against a group of people.  

 

* USA: Condemns the action – but not the permit  

 

The US State Department condemns Wednesday's Koran burning in Stockholm, Reuters reports.  

 

At the same time, they point out that the police permit is an expression of freedom of speech, and not an explicit support for the act. 

 

"We believe that the demonstration created a climate of fear that will affect the ability of Muslims and other religious minorities to exercise religious freedom," they write.