Who was Salwan Momika? Iraqi man, who burned Quran in Sweden, shot dead
Salwan Momika, known for burning the Quran in Sweden, has been shot dead at his home. His actions incited global outrage and legal troubles.
Salwan Momika, the Iraqi man infamous for burning the Quran in Sweden, has reportedly been shot dead. The Stockholm district court postponed Thursday’s verdict in a case where he was a defendant.
Swedish state media reported on Thursday that Salwan Momika died from gunshot wounds after being found at his home in Hovsjo, Sodertalje, late Wednesday night.
In 2023, Salwan Momika, 38, carried out multiple Quran burnings and desecrations in Sweden. His actions gained global attention, sparking outrage in several Muslim nations and triggering riots and unrest.
Momika had said argued in the court that his protests were against the religion of Islam, not Muslims, and that he wanted to protect Sweden’s people from the messages in the Quran.
The Swedish Police allowed his protests, citing freedom of speech, but charges were still filed against him.
Who was Salwan Momika?
Salwan Momika and a co-defendant were charged in a Stockholm court with incitement to racial hatred because of comments made about the Quran burnings. A verdict was expected on Thursday morning.
The Swedish Migration Agency decided in 2023 to expel Momika from the country. However, due to threats against him in Iraq, the expulsion was not carried out, and he was granted a new temporary residence permit valid until April 2024.
Salwan Momika, from the Al-Hamdaniya district of Qaraqosh in northern Iraq's Nineveh province, was raised as an Assyrian Catholic. During the 2006-2008 civil war amid the persecution of Christians by the Islamic State, he joined the Assyrian Patriotic Party and served as a security guard at its Mosul headquarters.
In June 2014, following the capture of Mosul by ISIS militants, Momika became part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to oppose the Islamic State. He was seen in videos wearing military attire as a member of the Christian unit, holding firearms and swearing loyalty to the Imam Ali Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Movement of Iraq.
Momika fled to Germany in 2017 with a Schengen visa, where he publicly renounced Christianity and declared his atheism. He applied for asylum in Sweden in April 2018 and was registered as an Iraqi refugee.
Later, in April 2021, he was granted a three-year temporary residence permit, valid until April 2024. However, his application for permanent residence, necessary for Swedish citizenship, was denied due to discrepancies in his asylum application, including his false claim about his involvement with the Imam Ali Brigades.
While in Sweden, he was seen with Christian Democrat MP Robert Halef and met Sweden Democrats’ Julia Kronlid. Momika later expressed interest in running for the Riksdag as a candidate for the Sweden Democrats.