Thu Jan 30 17:58:24 UTC 2025: ## Sweden: Quran-Burning Protester Salwan Momika Shot Dead
**Stockholm, Sweden** – Salwan Momika, a 38-year-old Iraqi refugee known for his controversial Quran burnings in Sweden, was shot dead in his apartment in Södertälje, a suburb of Stockholm. The incident occurred during a live TikTok session on Thursday. Police have launched an investigation into the killing and have yet to identify or apprehend any suspects.
Momika gained notoriety for burning copies of the Quran outside Stockholm’s largest mosque on June 28th, 2023, during Eid al-Adha, sparking widespread international condemnation and protests. He subsequently engaged in similar acts at other mosques and faced multiple charges, including desecration of religious texts. A trial against him was underway, with a verdict scheduled for Thursday, but this has been postponed until February 3rd following his death.
Prior to seeking asylum in Sweden in 2021, Momika had reportedly been involved with an Iraqi militia, forming his own armed group before fleeing the country in 2018 following internal conflicts. He justified his actions in burning the Quran as an exercise of freedom of speech, claiming his objections were directed at Islamic beliefs, not Muslims themselves. Swedish authorities had granted him permission to conduct a one-day protest against Islam in 2023.
The investigation into Momika’s murder is ongoing.
First Piper 