Protesters in Baghdad stormed the Swedish embassy and set it afire on Wednesday in response to Sweden’s approval of a permit to protest in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm. It was expected that a Quran would be burned at the protest after another Quran burning incident in late June.
The protesters were followers of Iraq’s radical anti-Western cleric Muqtada al-Sadr who is retired from politics but still wields vast influence over Shiite Muslims.
The Swedish police claim they gave a permit for a public gathering outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, where media reports suggested a Quran would be burned. The police told AFP that they granted a permit for a “public gathering” outside the Iraqi embassy, but refused to say what the protesters were going to do.
Swedish and Iraqi authorities exchanged heated words over the protests, as Baghdad threatened to sever diplomatic ties with Stockholm over Quran-burning demonstrations sanctioned by the state.
“Granting permission under the pretext of freedom of expression is viewed as provocative and contrary to international covenants and norms, which emphasize respect for religions and beliefs,” the Iraqi prime minister’s office said.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry earlier condemned the attack on the Swedish embassy. The ministry called the incident part of a concerning pattern of assaults on diplomatic mission.
The Iraqi government said it held an emergency meeting on Thursday to turn in the arrested individuals arrested in Baghdad to the judiciary, adding that “negligent security officials will be investigated and face appropriate legal measures.”
Rioters are currently Storming and have set Fire to the Swedish Embassy in the Iraqi Capital of Baghdad. pic.twitter.com/SUDGCP2W4V
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) July 20, 2023
🚨The Sadrists stormed and burned the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad in protest against Sweden giving another permit to burn the Quran(not confirm yet). pic.twitter.com/uodB6w3hZq
— Ali Al-Mikdam علي المگدام (@ali_almikdam) July 19, 2023
Related: A Showdown Is Coming Over Freedom of Expression in Europe
It’s the responsibility of the host government to protect foreign embassies — something Iraq has had difficulty doing in recent years. In this case, it appears that Iraqi security services either colluded with the rioters or ignored them.
“What has happened is completely unacceptable and the government strongly condemns these attacks,” Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom said in a statement. “The government is in contact with high-level Iraqi representatives to express our dismay.”
Iraq’s foreign ministry also condemned the incident and said in a statement the Iraqi government had instructed security forces to carry out a swift investigation, identify perpetrators and hold them to account.
By dawn on Thursday, security forces had deployed inside the embassy and smoke rose from the building as firefighters extinguished stubborn embers, according to Reuters witnesses.
Iraqi security forces later charged at a few dozen protesters still milling around outside the embassy in an attempt to clear them from the area. Protesters had earlier briefly thrown rocks and projectiles towards the large number of security forces gathered.
The act of burning The Quran is a hurtful one if you’re a Muslim. But al-Sadr is not concerned with hurt feelings. He’s using the threat to burn a Quran to stir up anti-Western rage. This makes him feared by the Iraqi leadership and powerful on the Iraqi street.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member