Man who burned Quran shot dead in Sweden

[VorZakone]

This is the guy responsible for the 2023 Quran burning in Sweden which caused uproar back then.

A man who sparked violent protests after burning the Quran has been shot dead in Sweden.

Salwan Momika was killed in an apartment in Södertälje, Stockholm, on Wednesday evening, prosecutors told the BBC.

Unrest broke out after Mr Momika set fire to a copy of Islam's holy book outside Stockholm Central Mosque in 2023.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpdx2wqpg7zo

 

[VorZakone]

5 arrested.

The Swedish prime minister said the shooting of an anti-Islam campaigner just hours before a trial verdict was due on Thursday over his burning the Koran might be linked to a foreign power, and police arrested five people over the killing.

https://www.reuters.com/world/europ...-court-verdict-over-koran-burning-2025-01-30/

 

[VorZakone]

Apparently he was livestreaming when he was attacked according to Swedish media.

Swedish media said Momika had been streaming live on TikTok at the time he was shot.

 

[bosnian_red]

Not defending murder of course but probably a bad idea to burn a Quran right outside of a mosque, just as it would be to burn a bible outside a church or whatever other equivalents there are. You're asking to get attacked by a random psychopath at that point.

 

[VorZakone]

Guy was also part of a militia once in Iraq apparently.

Momika fled to Sweden several years ago after being charged with several legal complaints, including deception. In September 2013, Baghdad asked Sweden to extradite him but the Scandinavian country refused.

In 2017, he was involved in a Christian militia in Iraq but left the country after disputes with Ryan al-Kildani, leader of the "Babylon" political party.

https://www.newarab.com/news/iraqi-quran-burner-salwan-momika-shot-dead-sweden

 

[Red Star One]

Wheel of history that runs on blood had quite impactful last 24h

 

[Pexbo]

Not defending murder of course but probably a bad idea to burn a Quran right outside of a mosque, just as it would be to burn a bible outside a church or whatever other equivalents there are. You're asking to get attacked by a random psychopath at that point.

Yep, try burning a bible outside a church in rural Texas and see how that effects your health.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Guy was also part of a militia once in Iraq apparently.


https://www.newarab.com/news/iraqi-quran-burner-salwan-momika-shot-dead-sweden

I guess “Guy who was part of a militia shot dead” was never going to get the same clicks as the one they went with.

 

[Peter van der Gea]

Mate.

Imagine what these murderers will do to all of them Christian priests.

Cos child rape is more disgusting than a burnt book. Right?

Right???

 

[4bars]

Yep, try burning a bible outside a church in rural Texas and see how that effects your health.

I honestly believe that he would not get shot...at least to death... or at least no shot related to the bible. Maybe your usually 9 am sunday's mass murder shooting

 

[Snow]

Not defending murder of course but probably a bad idea to burn a Quran right outside of a mosque, just as it would be to burn a bible outside a church or whatever other equivalents there are. You're asking to get attacked by a random psychopath at that point.

Not a random psycopath no. Specifically a muslim person or a Christian person. No one else would care.

 

[John XII]

Not a random psycopath no. Specifically a muslim person or a Christian person. No one else would care.

I think they'd need to be a psychopath too.

 

[bosnian_red]

Not a random psycopath no. Specifically a muslim person or a Christian person. No one else would care.

Random psychopath with twisted beliefs on what their religion actually stands for, because they are psychopaths. As is this person who got killed as a result of what he did.

 

[bosnian_red]

I honestly believe that he would not get shot...at least to death... or at least no shot related to the bible. Maybe your usually 9 am sunday's mass murder shooting

Ummmm lots of areas around USA are quite strong in their beliefs for both religion and their "freedom" to shoot people

 

[rimaldo]

if you’re prepared to kill for your religion, you’re a dweeb.

 

[RedC]

Was a muslamic ray gun found at the scene?

 

[Mike Smalling]

Not defending murder of course but probably a bad idea to burn a Quran right outside of a mosque, just as it would be to burn a bible outside a church or whatever other equivalents there are. You're asking to get attacked by a random psychopath at that point.

In Scandinavia, I really don't think there is any equivalence between the danger you bring yourself in by burning the Quran vs. burning any other holy text. It's two entirely different things.

 

[Grylte]

In Scandinavia, I really don't think there is any equivalence between the danger you bring yourself in by burning the Quran vs. burning any other holy text. It's two entirely different things.

Yeah, noone would be killed, or even harmed for burning the bible in Scandinavia, even though they are supposed to be christian countries.

 

[bosnian_red]

Yeah, noone would be killed, or even harmed for burning the bible in Scandinavia, even though they are supposed to be christian countries.

I mean you wouldn't expect anyone to do that in the first place or anyone to be killed. But that applies in most civilized places in the world. And in all of these civilized countries, random psychopaths exist who commit violent crimes or psychos exist who want to commit hate crimes on others and antagonize groups. Everyone should know that psychopaths exist in any group or religion, and it's probably a better idea to just not do something that could put a target on your back by a psychopath who happens to belong to a group.

Side note - isn't burning religious books seen as a hate crime that gets you tossed in prison? Always assumed it was the case but could be wrong.

Also as Pogue said. The guy was part of a militia too. Not just some random bloke, but headlines trying to paint it on Islam as usual cause it gets more clicks.

 

[bosnian_red]

In Scandinavia, I really don't think there is any equivalence between the danger you bring yourself in by burning the Quran vs. burning any other holy text. It's two entirely different things.

Isnt it a case of when you do something like that, it becomes news that reaches outside of your own borders and draws in random psychos from all over? Genuinely has nothing to do with which religion. It'd potentially have the same impact regardless of religion.

Don't commit hate crimes and you're unlikely to put a target on your own back from randoms who are willing to harm people due to their twisted beliefs

 

[Mike Smalling]

Isnt it a case of when you do something like that, it becomes news that reaches outside of your own borders and draws in random psychos from all over?

Don't commit hate crimes and you're unlikely to put a target on your own back from randoms who are willing to harm people due to their twisted beliefs

No, that's not my impression. I don't think it's a case of a random psychopath being associated with a religion, so that this could have been perpetrated by a Christian, or a Jew, or a Hindu. The reality is that there is a small but not insignificant subset of the Muslim community that is prepared to commit violence towards people that perform blasphemy towards Islam. This does not really exist in other religions (again speaking of Scandinavia here). In Denmark this goes back to Jyllands-Posten publishing the drawings of Muhammed, the attempted murder of Lars Hedegaard, and the constant idiocy of a guy called Rasmus Paludan, etc.

Now obviously this gets amplified, because there are idiots who seek to antagonize these groups, and often succeed in doing it. The motivation of these people are almost always self-serving and nefarious, but unfortunately they are successful in casting the entirety of the Muslim community in a negative light, exactly because they can get the reaction they are looking for.

 

[Denis79]

He was even in protective custody I think, loads of death threats from religious fanatics.

 

[the hea]

Don't commit hate crimes and you're unlikely to put a target on your own back from randoms who are willing to harm people due to their twisted beliefs

Burning religious books is not a crime in Sweden.

 

[ArjenIsM3]

Yeah, noone would be killed, or even harmed for burning the bible in Scandinavia, even though they are supposed to be christian countries.

But then Swedes in general are pretty chill. I'd wager the people responsible for his death aren't Swedish (and neither was he).

 

[Snow]

I think they'd need to be a psychopath too.

Not at all. Way more people kill people over religious matters than are psychopaths. Psychopath isn't a magic word you can assign to wish away what you don't like about humans.

 

[Denis79]

Yeah, noone would be killed, or even harmed for burning the bible in Scandinavia, even though they are supposed to be christian countries.

Scandinavian countries are very secular and generally value democracy above all, for many christianity is more tied to tradition than actual faith. One of the things I really love about Scandinavia.

 

[Snow]

Random psychopath with twisted beliefs on what their religion actually stands for, because they are psychopaths. As is this person who got killed as a result of what he did.

Do you believe all people that wilfully kill are psychopaths?

 

[John XII]

Not at all. Way more people kill people over religious matters than are psychopaths. Psychopath isn't a magic word you can assign to wish away what you don't like about humans.

If we're using psychopath by it's specific definition rather than a general nutjob then fair enough but the point stands, anyone who does that is not normal.

 

[Snow]

If we're using psychopath by it's specific definition rather than a general nutjob then fair enough but the point stands, anyone who does that is not normal.

We can agree on that. Premeditated murder takes a lot. Religion does help a lot with turning down those human voices that say "Don't". We use the term "cult like" for those kind of behaviors but established religions aren't that different.

I don't buy into the dismissing it and calling these people extremists when everyone that follows these religions are taught that these books are the word of God. Strange to me how you got from that to the arrogance of picking and choosing which parts you believe in.

 

[HookedOnAPhelan]

Not defending murder of course but probably a bad idea to burn a Quran right outside of a mosque, just as it would be to burn a bible outside a church or whatever other equivalents there are. You're asking to get attacked by a random psychopath at that point.

Yes, this is precisely the same thing as that. No difference whatsoever.

Gun to your head, someone gives you the following choice:

a) Burn the Bible on Trafalgar Square broadcast on TV with no security around.
b) Burn the Quran on Trafalgar Square broadcast on TV with no security around.

Which do you think would give you the greater chance of survival? Be honest now.

 

[PSV]

Random psychopath with twisted beliefs on what their religion actually stands for, because they are psychopaths. As is this person who got killed as a result of what he did.

Psychopaths generally aren't religious. In their world there's no room for other gods but themselves.

 

[John XII]

We can agree on that. Premeditated murder takes a lot. Religion does help a lot with turning down those human voices that say "Don't". We use the term "cult like" for those kind of behaviors but established religions aren't that different.

I don't buy into the dismissing it and calling these people extremists when everyone that follows these religions are taught that these books are the word of God. Strange to me how you got from that to the arrogance of picking and choosing which parts you believe in.

Of course they are extremists

 

[hasanejaz88]

Oh no...anyway.

 

[bosnian_red]

No, that's not my impression. I don't think it's a case of a random psychopath being associated with a religion, so that this could have been perpetrated by a Christian, or a Jew, or a Hindu. The reality is that there is a small but not insignificant subset of the Muslim community that is prepared to commit violence towards people that perform blasphemy towards Islam. This does not really exist in other religions (again speaking of Scandinavia here). In Denmark this goes back to Jyllands-Posten publishing the drawings of Muhammed, the attempted murder of Lars Hedegaard, and the constant idiocy of a guy called Rasmus Paludan, etc.

Now obviously this gets amplified, because there are idiots who seek to antagonize these groups, and often succeed in doing it. The motivation of these people are almost always self-serving and nefarious, but unfortunately they are successful in casting the entirety of the Muslim community in a negative light, exactly because they can get the reaction they are looking for.

Don't know specifically about Scandinavia but I think as a general thing around the world that it's pretty much the same across many religions (or groups). As you say, if there's somebody who is antagonizing the group, then somewhere around the world you'll have idiots who are pissed off and itll tickle some psychopath in the wrong way. It's the same for anything, poke somebody enough times and eventually they'll lash out.

 

[Plant0x84]

Was a muslamic ray gun found at the scene?

No, she retired because she was hilariously terrible.

 

[bosnian_red]

Do you believe all people that wilfully kill are psychopaths?

General nut jobs, not the literal term of psychopath, but yeah. They've all got a twisted belief system and will use whatever justification they can to back up their behavior.

 

[matherto]

I mean you wouldn't expect anyone to do that in the first place or anyone to be killed. But that applies in most civilized places in the world. And in all of these civilized countries, random psychopaths exist who commit violent crimes or psychos exist who want to commit hate crimes on others and antagonize groups. Everyone should know that psychopaths exist in any group or religion, and it's probably a better idea to just not do something that could put a target on your back by a psychopath who happens to belong to a group.

Side note - isn't burning religious books seen as a hate crime that gets you tossed in prison? Always assumed it was the case but could be wrong.

Also as Pogue said. The guy was part of a militia too. Not just some random bloke, but headlines trying to paint it on Islam as usual cause it gets more clicks.

I mean, had he not burned the Quran would he have even made the news?

Not to make it about Islam per se but the fact that he was infamous for doing it probably made his death worth covering. I’m sure other people have been shot dead in Sweden in the past week and not made the news.

 

[ItDoesntEvenMata]

 

[utdalltheway]

Murdering the guy though? Kinell, there are some serious backwards ass m'fers out there.
Hopefully they caught the right guy(s). On the plus side they can find comfort in their holy book while locked up for the rest of their life.

 

[HookedOnAPhelan]

Oh no...anyway.

Yeah he burned a book, so obviously he totally deserved to die.