Anger in Iraq over Quran burnings in Sweden
Supporters of the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr raise copies of the Quran, Muslims’ holy book, during a protest in Sadr City, in response to the burning of Quran in Sweden, Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, July 12, 2023.
Iraqi protesters stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad after Stockholm police gave permission to a yet another person to burn the Quran. Relations between Iraq and Sweden are now frayed and some Swedes are beginning to wonder: “When does the legal right to burn a Quran become a hate crime?” And, women in Afghanistan took to the streets this week to protest a Taliban ban on beauty salons. The ban will come into effect in five days, leaving roughly 6,000 women out of work. Also, centenarian statesman Henry Kissinger flew to Beijing for a surprise meeting yesterday with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Plus, FIFA Women’s World Cup kicks off in New Zealand and Australia.