The man who burnt Quran found dead in Norway

KABUL (Pajhwok): The body of of the man who burnt the Holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark has been found in his house in Norway, media reports said on Wednesday.

The Iraqi refugee and critic of Islam, Salwan Sabah Matti Momika, had staged several burnings of the Holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark.

After Momika’s body was found in his house, police launched an investigation into the cause of the incident.

Momika said in his last message on X: “Today, I left Sweden and I am now in Norway under the protection of the Norwegian authorities.

“I applied for asylum under international protection in Norway because Sweden does not accept my asylum.”

With reports trending on social media about the incident, the government of Norway has so far said nothing about Momika’s death.

The circumstances surrounding the death of the 37-year-old are not yet clear, as preliminary investigations have failed to uncover the cause.

Radio Geneva broke news of his demise via a tweet that was followed by reports in global media, including Indian and Pakistani TV channels.

Momika fled to Sweden in 2018 from Iraq and was granted residency in 2021. But his asylum application was rejected after he desecrated the Quran outside a mosque in June 2023. In March this year, Momika relocated to Norway.

aw/mud