Sweden’s migration authority has launched a re-examination of the residency permit of Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, who is behind several Quran desecrations in the capital Stockholm in recent weeks, causing a global uproar.
The man burnt a copy of the Quran last month outside of Stockholm’s central mosque and also held a demonstration in front of the Iraqi embassy in July, where he said he would burn the holy book but did not do so.
The migration agency said it is re-examining his immigration status after it received information from the Swedish authorities that have given reason to examine whether the man’s status in Sweden should be revoked.
“It is a statutory measure that is taken when the Swedish migration agency receives such information and it is too early to say anything about the outcome of the case,” a spokesperson for the agency said in a statement to Reuters, adding it was unable to comment further due to confidentiality.
According to the Swedish news agency TT, the man has a temporary residency permit in Sweden that expires in 2024.
Sweden has found itself in the international spotlight in recent weeks following provocations by different figures who burnt and damaged the Quran, the Muslim holy book.
Attacks on the Quran in Sweden and Denmark in the past weeks have offended many Muslim countries, including Türkiye, whose backing Sweden needs to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a goal of Stockholm after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Stockholm police have also received applications for demonstrations that included burning other religious books, such as the Christian and the Hebrew Bible, prompting many to criticize Sweden.
Swedish courts have ruled that police cannot stop burnings of holy scriptures, but Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s government said earlier in July it would examine if there was reason to change the Public Order Act to make it possible for police to stop Quran burnings.
Sweden does not have a law prohibiting the burning or desecration of religious texts and characterizes the provocations as their constitutional right of “freedom of speech.” Police generally give permission based on whether they believe a public gathering can be held without major disruptions or risks to public safety.
The Swedish Security Service said Wednesday that Sweden’s image among Muslim-majority nations and its security situation has naturally deteriorated after the recent Quran-burning incidents and that it could face threats.
Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom and security service representatives appeared before the Swedish parliament’s foreign affairs committee Thursday to discuss the Quran burning crisis at the request of the opposition Social Democratic Party.
After the meeting, Billstrom told TT that the situation was serious but that there was no “quick fix” to cool down the anti-Swedish backlash in the Muslim world.
