Swedish Embassy Staff in Baghdad Return to Stockholm

Baghdad, MINA – The staff of the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad returned to Stockholm for security reasons after the embassy was attacked by protesters who were angry with the granting of permission to burn the Qur’an in Stockholm for the second time.

As quoted from the Middle East Monitor on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced staff and operations were being temporarily moved to Stockholm for security reasons but declined to provide further comment.

A number of protesters on Thursday, stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad and set it on fire. However, there are no details regarding the extent of the damage.

In addition, Iraq also expelled the Swedish ambassador in protest over the permission to burn the Qur’an which prompted hundreds of protesters to gather near the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad.

On Thursday, an Iraqi refugee named Salwan Momika repeated his act of desecrating the Qur’an in Stockholm, Sweden.

Previously, he had burned copies of the Koran outside Stockholm’s main mosque on Eid al-Adha last month. His actions received widespread condemnation from the Arab and Islamic world. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)