Attacks against Quran continue in Denmark, Sweden

By Muhammet Ikbal Arslan and Atila Altuntas

COPENHAGEN (AA) - Attacks on the Quran continued on Monday in Denmark and Sweden.

In Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, members of the anti-Islam and ultra-nationalist group Danske Patrioter burned the holy book for Muslims in front of the Saudi Embassy.

The group unfurled a banner insulting Islam and shouted Islamophobic slogans in a protest broadcast live on social media.

The protesters also trampled a copy of the Quran as police provided them security.

As 57 Muslim countries discuss how to stop the burning of the Quran in the West, "it seems we will have to burn the Quran even more," the group's social media account said, referring to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) online meeting held on Monday to discuss the recent attacks.

Meanwhile, Salwan Momika, of Iraqi origin, burned another copy of the Quran in front of the Swedish Parliament and demanded that Islam be banned in the country.

Momika, who was guarded by security officials, trampled the Quran. He uttered derogatory words against Islam and set the Quran on fire.

He also stepped on flags of Iraq and Iran.

An Iraqi citizen, Salwan Najem, helped Momika carry out attacks.

Another group gathered in the area staged a counter-protest by chanting the takbir (Allah is Great) and carrying the Iraqi flag and the Quran.

On the other hand, police told Anadolu that Momika and Najem had asked for permission to burn copies of Quran in front of the Fittja Grand Mosque in Stockholm's Botkyrka district and in front of the Iranian Embassy in Stockholm during the week. Permits for the requests are pending.