An Iranian protester holds the Quran in his hand during a protest against a man who burned a copy of the Quran outside a mosque in the Swedish capital Stockholm, in front of the Swedish Embassy in Tehran, Iran June 30, 2023. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.
On Monday, Iran leveled allegations against an Iraqi individual residing in Sweden, claiming that he was an operative of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. The accusation follows the recent incident where Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi citizen living in Sweden, ignited outrage among Muslims globally by desecrating the Quran. Momika stomped on the Quran and set multiple pages on fire outside a mosque in Stockholm on June 28.
Swedish police had granted Momika a permit for the demonstration, citing free speech protections.
In a statement carried by state media, Iran’s intelligence ministry asserted that Momika’s act of burning the Quran was a coordinated effort with Israel, intended to divert attention from Israeli operations against Palestinians. It referenced a recent Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank.
“This is the usual practice of the Zionists, who, alongside their campaigns of murder and destruction, implement criminal projects to deflect attention from their sinister operations,” the statement said.
Last week, Israel launched its largest operation in years in the West Bank city of Jenin, resulting in the deaths of twelve Palestinians and one Israeli soldier.
Iran’s statement claimed that Momika had been recruited by the Mossad in 2019 and had been working with the Israeli intelligence agency since then.
It accused Momika of “playing a major role” in spying on Iran-backed Iraqi militias and working towards the disintegration of Iraq before he arrived in Sweden. The statement further alleged that Momika demanded residency in Sweden from Israel in exchange for his services.
