Stockholm Quran Desecration Backlash: “No Church Or A Christian Will Remain Safe In Pakistan” Terror Group Threatens

The incident of desecration of Quran in Sweden’s capital Stockholm has fanned flames of a backlash in Pakistan. Lahore-based incensed religious outfit namely Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) made an announcement on Sunday July 2, that it will target Christians and churches in Pakistan in retaliation for the Quran burning incident in Sweden last week.

In a statement Naseer Raisani, spokesperson of LeJ saidThe religious outfit stated that “no Church or a Christian will remain safe in Pakistan.” It was also said that the group will initiate suicide bombings targeting Christians in Pakistan. It was further stated that the group intends to join hands with like-minded terror groups in the region to attack the Christian community, in order to avenge the Quran incident that took place in Sweden on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha on June 28. So far, there has been no comment from the Pakistani government over this statement whereas security agencies are silent over this matter.

Details emerged that Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi, tore up and lit pages of the Islamic holy book Stockholm Central Mosque as Muslims celebrated the Eid al-Adha holiday. Momika had fled to Sweden several years ago. Swedish police granted Momika a permit in line with free speech protections, but later the Swedish authorities said they had opened an investigation over “agitation against an ethnic group”, stating that Momika had burnt pages from the Islamic holy book very close to the mosque.

The burning of a Quran outside a mosque has sparked rage amongt the Islamic world. The act has drawn denunciation from several Muslim countries, including Pakistan, Turkiye, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Iraq and Iran. Sweden’s government, on teh other hand condemned Momika’s actions on Sunday, July 2, labelling them “Islamophobic”. Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson said, it’s legal but not appropriate,” adding that it was up to the police to make decisions on Holy Quran burnings.