this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2025
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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.

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[–] Khuda@lemmy.world 29 points 1 day ago (19 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 3 points 22 hours ago (3 children)

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.

[–] Iceblade02@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

This is, as a matter of fact, incorrect. There is only one law regarding what in english might be called "hate speech". It refers to "agitation against a population group", and is the only exception to freedom of expression relevant in this context, mentioned in "brottsbalken", our criminal law.

Brottsbalken, Kap. 16, 8 § Den som i ett uttalande eller i ett annat meddelande som sprids uppmanar till våld mot, hotar eller uttrycker missaktning för en folkgrupp, en annan sådan grupp av personer eller en enskild i någon av dessa grupper med anspelning på ras, hudfärg, nationellt eller etniskt ursprung, trosbekännelse, sexuell läggning eller könsöverskridande identitet eller uttryck, döms för hets mot folkgrupp till fängelse i högst två år.

Criticism of religion however is raised in other, more important parts of law, namely the Swedish form of Government (our constitution). It is there, specifically and repeatedly, mentioned as a kind of speech and expression that is protected. As such, in the case of Salwan Momika it'd have been necessary to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he intended to target muslims by burning quran books, rather than (as he himself claimed) to openly criticize islam. Nobody has as of the posting of this comment been deemed guilty of agitation for burning any religious texts in Sweden under the current law.

This is part of why the trial of him and his companion ended up taking so long. It was one of the first high-profile cases of its kind and likely to set precedent on the topic. As such, I consider his assassination on the night before the verdict of his trial to be not only a barbaric act of violence, but also an explicit attack on the Swedish legal system, our constitution and our freedom of expression.

[–] UniversalBasicJustice@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

I'm an American mechanical engineer that's been considering working and living in Sweden for a long time, with recent events pushing me to pursue it with more vigor. Do you know of any culture/law/history primers that may be accessible for an English speaker? Or similar subject but in Swedish with children's book-style vocab/grammar? Cultural integration for kindergartners would be excellent. I'd just like to not make a fool of myself!

[–] Iceblade02@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

I'll get back to you on that. If you like you can contact me via email Iceblade02@proton.me.

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