Quran Blasphemer Not Dead But Detained in Norway
Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee who gained notoriety for his public desecration of the Quran in Sweden, has been apprehended in Norway. Local media reports indicate that his presence is considered a threat to the country.
In a previous statement to Swedish media, Momika expressed his intention to apply for asylum in Norway after receiving a deportation order from Stockholm. Upon his arrival in Norway on March 28, he was detained by Norwegian police and has since been held at the Trandum immigration detention center. It is anticipated that he will remain there until his deportation to Sweden, Anadolu Agency reported on Thursday.
The Oslo district court has issued a ruling, seen by Filter Nyheter, stating that “A dispatch will take place as soon as the formal and practical arrangements are in place.” The court expects the Directorate of Immigration to promptly request Sweden to accept Momika back under the Dublin Agreement.
The court has allowed the police’s immigration unit to detain Momika, citing “concrete grounds for assuming that the foreigner will evade the implementation” of his deportation. During his asylum registration, Momika reportedly stated “that the Norwegian authorities will contribute to him being killed if he is returned to Sweden.”
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The country’s security service assessed Momika as “considered to be a threat to fundamental national interests,” according to the Oslo District Court ruling. This assessment was made the day after his arrest.
Prior to his arrest, Momika accused Sweden of betrayal and announced his departure for Norway. He told Swedish tabloid Expressen, “I’m moving to a country that will welcome and respect me. Sweden does not respect me.”
Aware of the potential use of the Dublin Regulation to deport him back to Sweden, he indirectly threatened to once again burn a copy of the Quran. He stated, “If they do, I will again become a burden that requires camera surveillance, police protection and other things. If they do, I may exercise my rights to freedom of expression again.”
Momika, who was granted a residence permit in Sweden in 2021, is known for his series of public Quran burnings in the country. His deportation was confirmed by the Swedish Migration Court last month, but he was granted a temporary residence permit set to expire on April 16, according to Expressen. Chief Councilor Karin Dahlin stated in a press release, “The deportation decision cannot be enforced to Iraq as long as he risks persecution or other protection-based treatment there.”
In addition to his deportation, Momika is prohibited from returning to Sweden for five years and is ineligible for international protection due to his serious crime. His actions in Sweden and Denmark, justified under the banner of free speech, have incited outrage in Muslim countries and led to attacks on diplomatic missions.
In response to widespread protests, Denmark enacted legislation last December criminalizing the public burning of Quran copies. Meanwhile, Sweden is considering legal measures that would enable police to deny demonstration permits on the grounds of national security.
Source: Agencies
