January 31, 2025 | Flash Brief
Prominent Critic of Islam and Iran Murdered at Home in Sweden
January 31, 2025 | Flash Brief
Prominent Critic of Islam and Iran Murdered at Home in Sweden
Latest Developments
- Shot While Streaming on Social Media: A prominent free speech activist and critic of Islam known for staging public burnings of the Islamic holy book, the Quran, was murdered inside his home near Stockholm, Swedish authorities reported on January 30. Salwan Momika, a 38-year-old Assyrian-Iraqi who received asylum in Sweden in 2018, was live-streaming on social media when gunmen entered his home and shot him multiple times.
- Quran Burnings Authorized as Free Speech: Momika staged several public Quran burnings and desecrations in 2023, which enraged the international Muslim community, causing riots worldwide, and were cited by Turkey as one reason Ankara delayed approving Sweden’s NATO membership. Momika explained his actions as expressing his belief that the Quran “should be banned in the world because of the danger it causes to democracy, ethics, human values, human rights, and women’s rights.”
- Threat of Attacks on Islam Critics: Momika’s killing is the latest in similar attacks on critics of Islam, among them author Salman Rushdie; the staff of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo; Dutch director Theo Van Gogh; British politician David Amess; and several others. Swedish police said that five people were arrested in relation to Momika’s murder, with security services investigating the possibility that a foreign state actor could have ordered his murder. Momika was the subject of a Fatwa issued by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling for his death.
FDD Expert Response
“Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a fatwa against Salwan Momika, calling for ‘the most severe punishment’ for him. In addition to his anti-Islam activities, Momika, an Iraqi by birth, consistently criticized and challenged the Islamic Republic on his social media. The regime has a history of using criminal gangs in Sweden to target its enemies. Consequently, it is fair to ask whether the Islamic Republic and its supporters in Sweden are behind Momika’s murder.” — Saeed Ghasseminejad, Senior Iran and Financial Economics Advisor
“Freedom of expression guarantees all kinds of speech, short of instigating violence. Momika’s right to burn whatever holy book he pleased should have been protected, along with his safety. His murder suggests that the West is not the safe haven it used to be for those seeking freedom and liberty. However controversial and provocative his views might have been, he should not have had to pay for them with his life. The perpetrators should be punished and made an example of to prevent similar crimes in the future.” — Hussain Abdul-Hussain, Research Fellow
FDD Background and Analysis
“How the Salman Rushdie Fatwa Changed the World,” by Reuel Marc Gerecht
“Iran Targets Salman Rushdie,” FDD Flash Brief
“From Salman Rushdie to Charlie Hebdo,” by Clifford May