STOCKHOLM – A Swedish court found a man guilty of hate crimes for burning the Koran in public. This happened just days after another man, who was also on trial for the same reason, was shot dead. The guilty man, Salwan Najem, received a suspended sentence and fines for his actions and for making hurtful comments about Muslims. His friend, Salwan Momika, was killed on the day he was supposed to hear his case’s decision. No one has been arrested for his murder yet, although five people were briefly detained and then released. Sweden’s Prime Minister suggested that a foreign country might be involved in Momika’s death.
The Koran burnings have raised important questions in Sweden and other European countries about freedom of speech versus protecting people’s beliefs. The court said Najem showed disrespect to Muslims by insulting their religion multiple times. Najem’s lawyer said they will appeal the court’s decision, claiming his client’s statements were meant as criticism of religion, which is allowed under free speech laws. The court dropped the charges against Momika because he was killed
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