Demonstrators stormed the Swedish Embassy (Embassy) in Iraq and set fire to the building. Photo/twitter
BAGHDAD – A large crowd of demonstrators stormed the Swedish Embassy (Embassy) in Iraq and set fire to the building.
The action was in protest against the Swedish government’s grant of official permission for the planned burning of the Koran, which was planned outside the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm.
“Hundreds of people flocked to the diplomatic mission in the early hours of Thursday morning (20/7/2023), after influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr asked his supporters to demonstrate,” said the Reuters report.
Footage from the scene has been circulating online, with one clip showing the moment demonstrators stormed the embassy.
Flames and smoke can be seen in another video, with plumes of black billowing from embassy windows as protesters chant slogans.
Sources quoted by Reuters said no embassy staff were injured during the protests, but gave no other details.
The demonstration was reportedly prompted by the Swedish government’s approval of a Koran burning show to be staged in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm on Thursday.
A similar action was carried out last month at the same location, sparking heated protests in Baghdad which also saw an angry mob storm the Swedish Embassy.
The governments of several Muslim countries have also lodged formal protests over previous Koran burnings, including Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, Morocco and Turkey.
Meanwhile, Al-Sadr called for the expulsion of Sweden’s ambassador to Iraq, saying he represented a country “hostile to Islam.”
Russia and the United States also condemned Stockholm’s action, although Washington said it allowed it to be carried out in line with Swedes’ right to freedom of expression.
(she)
2023-07-20 03:26:00
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