Blood Quran

"[1] Saddam's act was denounced in 2000 by the religious authorities of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia,[2] and, after his fall from power in 2003, the Quran was removed from public display.

The book was produced by Abbas Shakir Joudi (Judy), an Islamic calligrapher who lived in Virginia in the United States before his death.

According to his version of events, over the course of two years, Saddam donated 24–27 litres (50 to 57 pints) of his blood, which was used by Joudi to copy the 6,000 verses and some 336,000 words of the Quran.

"[5] Smucker also wrote: "Western diplomats based in Baghdad are unimpressed with the Iraqi leader's religious devotion, dismissing the mosque and its holy book written in blood as a crude publicity stunt.

"[7] The Blood Quran was displayed in a hexagonal marble building set on an artificial lake within the Mother of all Battles Mosque complex.

The Guardian's Martin Chulov describes it as "an exquisitely crafted book that would take its place in any art exhibition – if it wasn't for the fact that it was written in blood.

Some former opponents of Saddam, such as Ahmed Chalabi, have argued for the destruction of all Saddam-era monuments and symbols on the grounds that they are "a clear reminder of the consequences of totalitarianism and idealising a person that embodies evil".