By Atila Altuntas
STOCKHOLM (AA) – Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee based in Sweden, targeted the Quran on Friday in the capital Stockholm in yet another desecration of the Muslim holy book.
Momika, who was assisted by Salwan Najem of Iraqi origin, perpetrated the attack once more under police control in front of the Iranian Embassy.
He cleaned his shoes with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's photo and the flag of Iran, and stepped on the Quran despite reactions.
Momika then set fire to a copy of the holy book, the flag of Iran, and Raisi's photo.
Videos shared on social media showed that a woman intervened in this act with a fire extinguisher, and police stopped and put her into custody.
Momika and Najem left the scene in an armored police vehicle, and approximately 20 police vehicles, 10 of them being armored, and 100 police officers escorted them.
Recent months have seen repeated acts of Quran burning and desecration by Islamophobic figures or groups, especially in northern European and Nordic countries.