German defense chief cancels trip to Iraq over 'security concerns'

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has cancelled a trip to Iraq due to security concerns following protests in Baghdad over the desecration of the Quran, local media said Sunday.

Pistorius was advised by German security officials to cancel his trip, Germany’s DPA news agency reported, citing the Defense Ministry.

The decision was taken after protesters in the Iraqi capital stormed the Swedish Embassy last week over the Quran burning.

On Friday, members of the Islamophobic and far-right nationalist group “Danske Patrioter” (Danish Patriots) burned a copy of the Muslim holy book in front of Iraq's Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark.

They also carried a banner with insulting slogans against Islam before stomping on the Iraqi flag and the Quran under police protection, as seen in videos shared on social media.

On Thursday, Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi refugee living in Sweden, stomped on and kicked the Quran, just weeks after setting fire to pages of the holy book outside a Stockholm mosque.