Yesterday, we reported on the latest Koran burning in Sweden, this time outside a Stockholm mosque by an Iraqi immigrant to Sweden and another unidentified man.
Today in Baghdad, Sweden's embassy was stormed by a mob. Embassy personnel were safely removed. The below article from today's SVT news is translated by Fousesquawk.
https://www.svt.se/nyheter/utrikes/uppgifter-sveriges-ambassad-i-bagdad-stormad
Caption: Watch demonstrators storm Swedish embassy in Baghdad
Swedish embassy in Baghdad stormed
Updated today 08:42. Posted today 06:29
Sweden's embassy in Iraq's capital city, Baghdad, was stormed Thursday. The embassy's personnel were able to leave the building and get to safety, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"It is not so surprising," says SVT's Turkey correspondent.
The populist and influential Shia Muslim leader, Moqtada al-Sadr, reportedly earlier in the day reportedly urged his followers to go and protest against Wednesday's Koran burning in Stockholm. Afterward, the followers reportedly made their way to Sweden's embassy in Baghdad.
"It is not so surprising. We have seen very strong reactions to the Koran burnings in Sweden, "says SVT's Turkey correspondent Thomas Thoren.
Images posted on social media, which have not been verified, show a large gathering of people outside Sweden's embassy and inside the embassy area as well. The storming reportedly lasted about 15 minutes, according to Agence France Presse's photographer, and ended after a security force arrived in the area.
Reaction to Koran burning
Many strong reactions and many condemnations have come in reaction to the Koran burning outside a mosque in central Stockholm by 37-year-old Salwan Momika, who resides in Järna and comes from Iraq.
"This has awakened sharp reactions in many places in the Middle East. We have seen public statements from Jordan, Morocco has withdrawn its ambassador. Iran has also come out with a statement and Iraq has come out with an official statement condemning the burning," says SVT's foreign affairs reporter, Lina Malers.
Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, also condemned the Koran burning during the day.
Personnel are safe
The embassy's personnel reportedly have left the embassy and gotten themselves to safety.
"We are well informed on the situation. Our embassy personnel are safe and the Foreign Affairs Ministry is in constant contact with them," writes the Foreign Affairs Ministry in an email to SVT News.
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