The murder of the Koran profanator is “an attack on Swedish democracy”

“” It is an attack not only against the person of Salwan Monika, but also against the Swedish state and our freedom of expression », Offered Nils Funcke, journalist and member of the Committee on Freedom of Expression, joined by telephone when the Swedish police had not yet confirmed the reason for the alleged murder of the ProFofer of the Koran.

38 years old, this Iraqi of Christian confession, known for having uttered corans many times during demonstrations in Sweden, was killed around 11 p.m. Wednesday, January 29 in the evening, at his home in Södertälje, a suburb of Stockholm where He lived. An investigation for murder was opened, the police have already arrested five individuals. According to several media, Salwan Momika was live on social networks at the time of his death. His murder could therefore have been filmed.

Political career attempt in Iraq

Known of police services, Salwan Momika and his collaborator Salwan Najem, were returned to judgment for “agitation against an ethnic group” four times in the summer of 2023. According to the indictment, the duo profaned The Koran burning it, while making derogatory remarks on Muslims.

At the end of June 2023, Momika had trampled on a copy of the Koran before slipping from the bacon and burning a few pages in front of the largest mosque in Stockholm on the first day of Eid Al-Adha, a party celebrated by Muslims through The world. The city court was due to rendered its judgment this Thursday on the accusations of incentive to the ethnic hatred against Salwan Momika.

Before his exile in Sweden, the accounts on Salwan Momika social networks testified to a political career attempt in Iraq. In particular, he had links with a Christian armed group during the fight against the Islamic State group and had created an obscure Syriac political party. He also assured in 2023 that he did not hear “Drunch this country which (l) has welcomed and which has preserved (its) dignity”adding that he wanted to see the Koran prohibited in Sweden. He also participated in the vast demonstrations against corruption in Iraq in late 2019.

In March 2024, Momika went to Norway following the revocation of his Swedish residence permit-he had provided false information at his request for asylum-, but he had been expelled from the country and returned to Suede. A temporary license had however been granted to him, for lack of being able to send him back to Iraq where he risked death, according to the Swedish authorities.

Threats against Sweden

During a press conference held in Stockholm Thursday morning, Prime Minister Ulf KristerSson described the murder of ” very spectacular “And evokes” an obvious risk that there is a link with a foreign state ». Relations between Sweden and several countries in the Middle East have deteriorated due to the actions of Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem. In July 2023, Iraqi demonstrators attacked the Sweden Embassy twice in Baghdad. The second time, they sparked fires there. In August of the same year, the Swedish intelligence service Sapo had to raise its threat level, the fires of the Koran having made the country a “priority target”.

On several occasions, the Swedish government has condemned profanations while recalling that freedom of expression and meeting was protected by the Constitution. According to Nils Funcke, the border between the right to express themselves and the incentive to hatred is delicate. He considers the alleged murder of Salwan Momika as ” a test For freedom of expression in Sweden. He wonders about the level of protection granted to him: “ That a person in Sweden, with our long tradition of freedom of expression, is killed for having expressed their opinions, it is a failure of the state to protect this freedom He says.