Stockholm: Amidst the ongoing conflict between the State of Israel and Hamas, activist Salwan Momika expressed his solidarity with the Jewish nation in a provocative manner. In a controversial act, he was seen stepping on the Quran and waving the Israeli flag in the Swedish capital of Stockholm on Saturday, October 21.

Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee residing in Sweden, further demonstrated his support for Israel by kissing the Israeli flag and trampling a copy of the Quran underfoot. A video capturing this incident quickly went viral on social media platforms.

Idag förklarar jag min solidaritet med det stora #Israel#Stockholm #salwan_momika #سلوان_موميكا pic.twitter.com/3m8577g5Io

— Salwan momika (@salwan_momika1) October 21, 2023

A day before this controversial act, on October 20, Salwan Momika announced his intentions, saying, "Tomorrow I will raise the Israeli flag, declare my solidarity with Israel, and burn the Quran and the Palestinian flag in Stockholm."

This act follows a controversial permission granted by the Swedish Police on June 28 earlier this year. Salwan Momika had received authorization to burn the Quran during a demonstration outside the largest mosque in Stockholm. This event coincided with Eid-al-Adha, and it took place after a Swedish court overturned the police's ban on Quran-burning demonstrations.

The repercussions of this act extended to international relations. In response to Sweden's actions, the Houthi movement in Yemen banned imports from the country. The Houthi trade Minister stated that Yemen was the first Islamic country to impose such a ban on Swedish goods in protest of their actions against the Quran. He called on other Islamic nations to follow suit, describing the ban as a symbolic response to the Quran's desecration.

It's worth noting that Sweden faced previous diplomatic challenges related to Quran desecration. In January 2023, Danish politician Rasmus Paludan had burnt a copy of the Quran next to the Turkish embassy in Sweden's capital. This act had led to a halt in discussions between Turkey and Sweden regarding the latter's NATO membership.

The recent incident involving Salwan Momika raises questions about freedom of expression and its limits, particularly in the context of sensitive religious and diplomatic matters. The provocative actions have sparked debates surrounding the balance between individual rights and societal harmony.

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