Blasphemy Killing? Iraqi Man Behind Quran Burnings In Sweden, Salwan Momika, Shot Dead Near Stockholm; Investigation Underway

Salwan Momika, the Iraqi man who gained global notoriety for staging several Quran burnings in Sweden, has been confirmed dead, according to a judge in Stockholm, reported by AP News.

Momika, 38, was fatally shot in Sodertalje, a city near Stockholm, in what has been described as a targeted attack. Police responded to a shooting incident at an apartment building on Wednesday night, where they found Momika with gunshot wounds.

Despite efforts to save him, he later died, prompting a preliminary murder investigation. Swedish authorities have arrested five people in connection with the incident.

Momika’s Quran burnings in 2023 sparked widespread outrage, particularly in Muslim-majority countries, where the protests led to riots and unrest. His actions, which he defended as protests against Islam, ignited tensions between Sweden and several foreign governments. 

He argued that his protests were aimed at the religion itself, not Muslim people and that he sought to protect Sweden’s population from the perceived messages of the Quran.

His demonstrations, which were granted permission by Swedish police under the country's laws protecting freedom of speech, led to charges of incitement to hatred, with Momika and a co-defendant facing trial in August.

The court had been set to deliver a verdict in his case on Thursday morning, but the trial was postponed due to his death. The Swedish Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, confirmed that the country’s security service was involved in the investigation, given the potential link to foreign powers. 

Momika, who moved to Sweden from Iraq in 2018 and was granted a three-year residence permit in 2021, had previously been arrested in neighbouring Norway after expressing plans to seek asylum there.

Momika’s death has attracted significant attention due to the high-profile nature of his protests and the political and social ramifications surrounding his actions.