Racist attack targets Stockholm mosque, copy of Quran defaced
Copy of Quran bearing six bullet holes was found chained to railings of stairs along with note reading ‘it’s time to go home’.
A racist attack has targeted the Stockholm Mosque in Sweden, with mosque officials saying a defaced copy of the Muslim holy book was discovered at the site.
In a statement on Sunday, the mosque’s administration said that a copy of the Holy Quran, with six bullet holes, was found chained to the railings of the stairs.
Mahmud al Halefi, chairman of the Stockholm Mosque, said that Islamophobic and racist attacks have been increasing day by day in Sweden. He noted that police have launched an investigation and that the incident has sparked strong reactions within the Muslim community.
Condemning the attack, Halefi said: “A copy of the Quran was chained to the railing next to the stairs leading to the mosque, and it had six bullet holes. There were also messages written in Arabic and Swedish on the Quran saying, ‘Thanks for the visit, but it’s time to go home.’
We perceived this message as an explicit racist statement targeting Muslims.”
Halefi stressed that the act was deeply offensive and part of a broader pattern of anti-Muslim hatred, calling on authorities to take firm measures against hate crimes and ensure the safety of religious communities.
Rising Islamophobic incidents in Sweden, Nordic countries
The attack on the Stockholm Mosque comes amid heightened tensions in Sweden following a series of high-profile Quran desecrations in recent years.
Most notably, Salwan Momika, an Iraqi man, carried out multiple public burnings and acts of desecration of the Quran in Stockholm in 2023, including outside the parliament building, the Stockholm Mosque, and the Iraqi embassy.
These acts, which were conducted under police protection, sparked widespread outrage across the Muslim world, triggered protests and unrest in several countries, and strained Sweden’s diplomatic relations.
Momika’s actions led to investigations by Swedish authorities for incitement against ethnic groups. In early 2024, he was killed in a shooting, prompting a Stockholm court to postpone a verdict in his case.
Despite his death, Muslim communities and human rights groups have warned that Islamophobic incidents continue to rise in Sweden and other Nordic countries.
International bodies, including the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the European Union, and the United Nations, have condemned Quran desecrations, calling on states to take stronger measures against hate crimes.