The Imam: "Those who wanted to provoke got what they wanted"

When Samir Muric heard about the riots in Malmö on Friday night, he threw himself into the car. He is an imam in Arlöv's mosque and wanted to go to Malmö to do what he could to calm the situation.

- But it escalated so fast. People started burning tires and took pallets there to light fires. I tried to talk to them and say that it was the wrong way to go and that there are better ways to mark, but it was in vain.

Before the night was over, about 300 protesters would have smashed bus shelters, overturned lampposts, fired fireworks at police and started about twenty fires. The protests took place in response to a Koran burning and planned Islam-critical actions in Malmö.

Samir Muric is strongly critical of the burning of the Koran - but at least as critical of the reactions to it.

- The majority of those who did did not have any religious roots at all. These are people who use our vulnerable situation to vent their emotions, he says and adds:

- Everyone I have talked to emphasizes that it was wrong, no Muslim supports the violence.

He bases it on the way the protesters behaved, dressed and talked. Had they been practicing Muslims, they would also have taken a break for prayer when it was time according to the Imam, which no one did.

- They swore a lot and behaved in a way that indicated that they were not practicing Muslims. My assessment is that it was people who were looking for trouble, they were not the type of people I usually see in the mosque, says Samir Muric.

His picture is shared by the municipal board chairman Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh (S).

- This is about both Malmö residents and people from outside who go to Malmö just to quarrel. There is no defense for that and it is disgusting that those people take the right to create insecurity for the population in Malmö, she says.