this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2025
196 points (98.0% liked)

World News

40018 readers
2132 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Summary

Salwan Momika, the Iraqi man who staged several Quran burnings in Sweden in 2023, was shot and killed in Sodertalje, near Stockholm.

His actions had sparked international outrage, riots, and diplomatic tensions. Swedish police confirmed a murder investigation is underway, and several arrests have been made.

Momika, who sought asylum in Sweden in 2018, faced charges of incitement to hatred, with a verdict scheduled for the day after his death.

His protests were permitted under free speech laws but led to legal action against him.

all 45 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

He was a asshole, but he sound have been free and safe to be an asshole.

Fuck religion

[–] 58008@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago

raised anger and criticism in several Muslim nations

I don't think there are many non-Muslims who were onboard with this stupid shit either, to be fair. Besides the spittle-flecked gammon who were already bigots to begin with, of course.

The only Quran burning I'd support would be if Elon Musk did it as part of his whole white identitarian shtick. I'd send ISIS the airfare myself.

[–] timewarp@lemmy.world 30 points 14 hours ago (6 children)

Fuck it, now I kind of want to burn a Quran or Bible for funsies.

[–] NauticalNoodle@lemmy.ml 5 points 4 hours ago

why not both?

[–] reksas@sopuli.xyz 16 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

the man wanted to incite hatred, show him middlefinger by doing the opposite

[–] dependencyinjection@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

How do we know he wanted that?

I see the post that says he was being charged with inciting hatred, but also says his act was protected under free speech.

I think it’s dumb to be burning books as the only people who are going to be pissed are the fundamentalists and they’re always pissed off anyway, but I respect his right to free expression.

[–] lime@feddit.nu 10 points 4 hours ago

so, momika has been in sweden a few years. he converted to christianity in his home country, started shouting loudly about freedom of speech there, got told to stop, then filed for asylum in sweden. once here he kept doing the same thing, which of course jeopardises his asylum claim. only he wasn't first. rasmus paludan has been burning qurans here for a while, always doing it in neighbourhoods with a majority muslim population. as a demonstration of the problem with religion, it's effective. once. but both of them did it for years, and the things they have been saying during their book burning made it clear that it was not actually about freedom of speech, but about hatred of muslims. not islam, muslims. and they were both in court for the crime of hets mot folkgrupp ("incitement of hatred against a population group"). they clearly overstepped the law of the country they were in.

[–] reksas@sopuli.xyz 6 points 8 hours ago (1 children)

What other possible reason would someone have to burn a book that is to some more important than their life. Either people dont care about it or become enraged. And just because you have right to do something doesnt mean you should. His actions have caused a lot of harm, also most likely his own death too.

For argument's sake, lets assume he had some positive reason for his actions. Has there been a single positive thing that has come from this? If you want to do good you need to think the consequences through and if you dont then you shouldnt do anything at all.

[–] 0x0@infosec.pub 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

This is such a bullshit take with some not so subtle apoligism and blame shifting.

If burning a book causes a lot of harm in any way besides burn damage, the burner is hardly to blame but something else is fundamentally wrong, and he tried to make that very obvious to everyone with his own life at risk.

[–] liyunxiao@sh.itjust.works -2 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

So how long have you sided with the Nazis and fundamentalist Christians?

Because now you're excusing their book burning.

[–] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 0 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

The scale makes all the difference here.

[–] liyunxiao@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 hours ago

Yes, it's so much better when one group of bigots burn books than a larger group of bigots burn more books.

I guess this is the lesser evil you guys keep voting for, just a little book burning and hate speech, as a compromise.

Just a pro tip, if you are ever on the side of people burning books, you're in the wrong.

[–] lime@feddit.nu 25 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

momika did it specifically to spark outrage among immigrants. don't do that.

[–] Plastic_Ramses@lemmy.world 23 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Nah fuck that, If muslims cant handle it they should look the other way like they do when women are stoned to death for showing their hair.

[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 8 points 13 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Shezzagrad@lemmy.ml 8 points 10 hours ago

Because that's be antisemetic and how dare you to anything against the Jewish people, don't you know European persecuted them so the entire world now can't anything to them due to white guilt

[–] Shizu@lemmy.world -2 points 14 hours ago (1 children)
[–] fxomt@lemm.ee 9 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (1 children)

THEY CAN’T KILL US ALL

You'd be surprised how efficient and streamlined capital punishment is in the middle east. So they probably can. (Unless you're talking about outside the ME, then i doubt it)

[–] Shizu@lemmy.world 0 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Obviously I am not talking about the ME.

[–] fxomt@lemm.ee 1 points 11 hours ago

Then sorry. I thought so due to him being Iraqi, concern of him being deported and executed, and his reason for burning the Qur'ans originally.

[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 8 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago) (2 children)
[–] Khuda@lemmy.world 22 points 13 hours ago (3 children)

look i hate netanyahoo and his party but i don't think this iraqi guy deserved it, i belive in freedom of religion and expression

and i think based on my experience (due to coming from sunni family) islam is something more than a religion

[–] x00z@lemmy.world 4 points 7 hours ago

Hate speech is an exception to the freedom of speech in Sweden. (Same as in EU countries).

You are allowed to practice your religion and express yourself, but hate speech is off the table.

So if he was not jailed or fined for these book burnings, the law has failed and somebody could have taken matters in their own hands.

[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 15 points 13 hours ago (3 children)

His schtick was grifting and being as racist as possible against brown people. This blatant racism is unacceptable in any way. We do not see Muslims mass burning Torah's because they hate Israel either nor should they be doing that.

This is straight up Nazi rhetoric. but because it is against Islam it is accepted in most Western countries. Even part of the more liberal establishment will defend it.

This man will be slightly more missed than the United Healthcare CEO.

[–] MothmanDelorian@lemmy.world 4 points 9 hours ago

Is this accepted in most Western countries? It might he legal in the USA but most would think ypu are a weird asshole for burning a holy book.

[–] jlh@lemmy.jlh.name 16 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

I dont know, the Swedish police's slowness to charge Paludan and Momika with hate speech doesn't really justify some random vigilante (or Turkish spy) going and giving him the death penalty. Kinda outside the paradox of tolerance here.

[–] Khuda@lemmy.world 0 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

do you have any proof of him being racist?

[–] FantasticDonkey@reddthat.com 5 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

What exactly more than a religion is it?

[–] yesman@lemmy.world -3 points 10 hours ago (2 children)
[–] splinter@lemm.ee 8 points 10 hours ago

Are you saying his killing was justified?

[–] FantasticDonkey@reddthat.com 5 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (1 children)

Yeah tbh as a Muslim it’s pretty tiring and offensive to read all of that shit when most of us are just busy living our lives like everyone else. And we’re here on the supposedly progressive and liberal Lemmy…

[–] MothmanDelorian@lemmy.world 2 points 9 hours ago

Wait, are you suggesting that its a bad idea to generalize what a billion plus people living in vastly different places and situations believe? /s