Protesters Gather in Response to Reports of Quran Burning by Far-Right Danish Group Danske Patrioter in Copenhagen
Hundreds of people in Baghdad attempted to storm the city's Green Zone, a heavily fortified area housing various foreign embassies and the seat of Iraq's government.
Nearly 1,000 protesters were dispersed by security forces early on Saturday in response to reports of a Quran burning incident that occurred the day before. The burning was carried out by a far-right group in front of the Iraqi embassy in Denmark.
"We have been witnessing the gathering of hundreds of angry protesters here, coming from Baghdad and other provinces," said Al Jazeera's Mahmoud Abdelwahed, reporting from Baghdad.
"They are expressing their outrage against the desecration of the Holy Quran," he continued. "They are raising copies of the Holy Quran and the Iraq flag to show their rejection of the desecration incidents that have occurred three times in less than a month – twice in Sweden and once in Copenhagen."
The demonstrators chanted in support of influential Iraqi Shia religious and political leader Muqtada al-Sadr, holding images of him and flags associated with his movement, alongside the Iraqi flag.
With passion, the protesters, many of them young men, shouted, "Yes, yes to the Quran!"
Security forces successfully blocked the Jumhuriya bridge, the route leading to the Green Zone, thereby preventing the protesters from reaching the Danish embassy.
Another protest is scheduled for later in the day.
"This location is close to the fence of the Green Zone. Last night, the protesters attempted to storm the Green Zone to reach the Danish embassy... They are also urging the international community to enact laws that would prevent any form of aggression and desecration against holy books," explained Abdelwahed.
As reported by Danish media, the far-right, ultra-nationalist group Danske Patrioter burned a copy of the Quran and an Iraqi flag in front of the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen and live-streamed the event on Facebook.
In reaction to the incident in Copenhagen, the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a strong condemnation, stating, "We strongly and repeatedly condemn the act of disrespect towards the Holy Quran and the flag of the Republic of Iraq in front of the Iraqi Embassy in Denmark," in a statement on Saturday.
The government called upon the international community to act promptly and responsibly in the face of such heinous acts that undermine social harmony and coexistence worldwide.
In a separate statement, it was emphasized that such events should not be allowed to repeat, referring to a similar incident that took place at the Swedish embassy, as reported by the AFP news agency.
The Iraqi government has reaffirmed its "full commitment" to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, ensuring the protection and security of diplomatic missions.
In a separate incident, demonstrators reportedly set fire to the headquarters of the humanitarian organization Danish Refugee Council in the Basra governorate of Iraq, as reported by local media and Sky News.
The incidents occurred two days after Iraqis stormed and set fire to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad following a second event that involved desecrating the Quran in Sweden. In response to the violence, the embassy had to temporarily relocate to Stockholm.
In protest against the desecration, Iraq's prime minister decided to sever diplomatic ties with Sweden, and this action also sparked reactions and condemnations from other Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East.
The incident in Sweden was carried out by Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Christian Iraqi refugee residing in Sweden, who also burned pages of a Quran on June 28. This earlier incident also led to large-scale protests in Iraq and drew condemnation from other Muslim-majority nations.
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