Sweden: what does Quran-burner's killing portend?
Salwan Momika, who was on trial in Sweden for burning the Quran, has been shot dead. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has said that there was a risk that 'foreign powers' were behind the killing. Momika was charged with carrying out a series of public Quran burnings in 2023 that led Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei to accuse Sweden of waging a war against the Muslim world.
An attack on the entire country
Expressen sees democracy and freedom of expression under threat:
“The fact that the police were unable to protect him is a failure. If Salwan Momika was murdered because he exercised his right to freedom of expression, then this is also an attack against Sweden. Regardless of whether he was murdered by extremists, foreign intelligence services or someone else, the murder is a serious blow to freedom of expression and the practical possibility of criticising Islam. Because the forces that threatened Momika are not content with simply punishing provocateurs.”
Stand up to crime
Svenska Dagbladet voices concern about potential Islamist contract killings:
“The circumstances of the murder could, once the picture becomes clearer, prove to be extremely serious for Swedish society. They highlight both the external threat to our country and the internal threat from Islamist forces and serious crime. We must continue to stand up to all these threats. No one in Sweden should have to die for their thoughts and feelings.”