Salwan Momika
Salwan Momika | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Momika burning a Quran in Stockholm in 2023 | |
| Born | Salwan Sabah Matti Momika 23 June 1986 Qaraqosh, Nineveh Governorate, Iraq |
| Nationality | Iraqi |
| Known for | Quran desecrations |
Salwan Sabah Matti Momika (Arabic: سيلفان صباح ماثيو موميكا; Syriac: ܡ ܫܡ ܤܐܡ ܫܒܐ ܡܕ݁ܡܳܝ; born 23 June 1986) is an Iraqi refugee and a critic of Islam, known for arranging demonstrations in Sweden where he publicly burns the Quran.[1]
Background[edit]
Momika was born into an Assyrian family in Qaraqosh in northern Iraq. He was raised as a Christian views himself as an atheist.[2] During the Iraqi civil war, when Christians came under attack by the Islamic State, Momika joined the Assyrian Patriotic Party and worked as a security guard for the branch headquarters in Mosul. According to Iraqi government sources, Momika fled his hometown in 2012 after a court found him guilty of causing a wrongful death during a car accident and sought to imprison him in Badush for three years.[3][4]
After the fall of Mosul in June 2014, Momika became part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) that fought against the Islamic State, acting as the commander for a Christian regiment (Suqur al-Suryan) and cooperating with Shiite militias.[5] He has appeared in videos in militia attire pledging allegiance to the Imam Ali Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Movement of Iraq which operated under the PMF.[6] He then presented himself as the officer of a militia called the Brigade of the Spirit of God Jesus, Son of Mary.[6] He was also a founder of the political party Syriac Democratic Union and the Falcons of the Syriac Forces, an armed militia established in 2014 that was affiliated with the pseudo-Christian militia Babylon Brigade, the armed wing of the Babylon Movement.[6] In 2017, Momika was involved in an internal conflict with Babylon Movement leader Rayan al-Kildani, after which he left the country.[7]
Activism[edit]
Migration to Sweden[edit]
Momika applied for a visa in Sweden in April 2018 and was registered as an immigrant from Iraq in April 2021 when he was granted a three-year residence permit.[8] He had appeared in Sweden since 2017 when he had a Schengen visa, and was seen in pictures outside the Riksdag along with member of parliament for the Christian Democrats, Robert Halef. He also had a meeting with Sweden Democrats parliamentarian Julia Kronlid.[8] Momika has later stated that he wants to run for Riksdag as a candidate for the party.[9]
After he was granted a residence permit in Sweden, he threatened a man with whom he shared accommodation with a knife, which resulted in him being convicted for unlawful threats the following year. He was sentenced to probation and community service.[8]
Quran burnings[edit]
In 2023, Momika arranged a series of demonstrations as a critique on Islam. During these demonstrations, he desecrated the Quran by burning it under police protection. The Quran burnings were accompanied by attacks towards Momika.[10][11]
Also in 2023, the Swedish Migration Agency decided that Momika is to be expelled from the country.[12] Due to threats against him in Iraq, the expulsion could however not be exercised, and he thus received a new temporary residence permit until April 2024.[13]
Migration to Norway[edit]
On 27 March 2024, it was reported that Momika had left Sweden for Norway to seek asylum.[14] Shortly after his departure, there were reports in social media that he had been found dead in Norway, but Norwegian police appeared to deny the rumours.[15] On 4 April, Norwegian police announced they had arrested Momika on 28 March, and that they planned to deport him back to Sweden on the basis of the Dublin Regulation.[16] He was transported back to Sweden on 11 April.[17]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Nyheter, S. V. T. (31 July 2023). "Salwan Momika och Salwan Najem – männen bakom sommarens koranbränningar i Sverige". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ Wintour, Patrick (21 July 2023). "Protests across Muslim nations after Sweden allows second attack on Qur'an". The Guardian.
- ^ al-Salhy, Suadad (29 July 2023). "Why Iraq thinks a plot is fanning the flames of its diplomatic crises". Middle East Eye.
- ^ Svensson, Birgit (4 July 2023). "Koran-burning in Sweden: The Iraqi Christian turned radical | Qantara.de". Qantara.de. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
- ^ "Koranbrännaren kan kopplas till regimen i Iran". DN.SE (in Swedish). 2 September 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- ^ a b c "As uncertainty shrouds his future, a past full of contradictions haunts Qur'an burner Salwan Momika". Arab News. 7 July 2023.
- ^ "From militia leader to refugee: The backstory of the man who burned a Koran in Sweden". The Observers - France 24. 10 July 2023.
- ^ a b c Wikén, Johan; Alshawish, Kovan (18 August 2023). "Bilderna på koranbrännaren utreds av Migrationsverket". SVT (in Swedish).
- ^ "Koranbrännaren om sitt SD-medlemskap: "Vill kandidera till riksdagen"". www.aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). 5 July 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ "Koranbränning i Malmö stormades – och avbröts". www.tv4.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ "A woman interrupts a Quran-burning protest in Sweden by spraying activist with a fire extinguisher". AP News. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ "Domstol fastslår: Salwan Momika ska utvisas". www.aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). 7 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
- ^ "Slår fast: Salwan Momika ska utvisas". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). TT. 7 February 2024.
- ^ Hamadé, Kassem (27 March 2024). "Här lämnar Salwan Momika Sverige". Expressen (in Swedish).
- ^ "No official word on Quran-burner Salwan Momika's death rumours". India Today. 2 April 2024.
- ^ "Koranbrenner Salwan Momika pågrepet – sendes tilbake til Sverige". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 4 April 2024.
- ^ Hamadé, Kassem (11 April 2024). "Salwan Momika är tillbaka i Sverige – ilskan mot Norge". Expressen (in Swedish).
External links[edit]
- Salwan Momika on X