Denmark’s parliament adopts law making it illegal to burn the Quran or other religious texts
COPENHAGEN — A new law was passed in Denmark’s parliament on Thursday that makes it illegal to desecrate any holy text in the country, after a recent string of public desecrations of the Quran by a few anti-Islam activists sparked angry demonstrations in Muslim countries.
The Scandinavian nation has been viewed abroad as a place that facilitates insults and denigration of the cultures, religions and traditions of other countries. The purpose of the law was to counter “the systematic mockery†that, among other things, has contributed to intensifying the threat of terrorism in Denmark, the Justice Ministry has said.
“We must protect the security of Denmark and Danes,†Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said in a statement. “That is why it is important that we now get better protection against the systematic desecrations we have seen for a long time.â€
The Folketing, or parliament, adopted the law in a 94-77 vote, with eight lawmakers absent. The new legislation will make it a crime “to inappropriately treat, publicly or with the intention of dissemination in a wider circle, a writing with significant religious significance for a religious community or an object that appears as such.†Works of art where “a minor part†includes a desecration, but is part of a larger artistic production, isn’t covered by the ban.
Thousands of people took to the streets in some Muslim-majority countries to express their outrage at the desecration of a copy of the Quran in Sweden.
During the more than four-hour debate, left-leaning and far-right parties united against the center-right government, repeatedly demanding that the three-party coalition that presented the draft onAug. 25 take part in the discussion. The government representatives didn’t say anything and were called “cowards†by the opposition.
“Does Iran change its legislation because Denmark feels offended by something an Iranian could do? Does Pakistan? Does Saudi Arabia? The answer is no,†said Karina Lorentzen of the Socialist People’s Party. Inger Stojberg of the anti-immigration Denmark Democrats said that the new law was a capitulation to Islam and a bowing down to countries that “do not share [our] set of values.â€
“A restriction of freedom of expression is wrong in a modern and enlightened society like the Danish one,†Stojberg said.
This year alone, activists have staged more than 500 protests, including burnings of the Quran, in front of embassies of Muslim countries, places of worship and in immigrant neighborhoods.
Hundreds of protesters have tried to storm the fortified area that houses foreign embassies and Iraq’s government seat, after reports of a Quran burning.
Denmark has repeatedly distanced itself from the desecrations, but has insisted that freedom of expression is one of the most important values in Danish society. The government has said there must “be room for religious criticism†and that there were no plans to reintroduce a blasphemy clause that was repealed in 2017.
Oussama Elsaadi, an imam with a mosque in Denmark’s second-largest city, Aarhus, told the B.T. newspaper that it’s “a good message to all Muslims.â€
“Burning of the Quran is an offense to others,†he said, according to B.T. “You may express yourself as you wish, but not in such a way that you destroy other people’s lives.â€
In 2006, Denmark was at the center of widespread anger in the Muslim world after a Danish newspaper posted 12 cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, including one wearing a bomb as a turban. Muslims consider images of the prophet to be sacrilegious and encouraging of idolatry. The images prompted violent anti-Denmark protests by Muslims worldwide.
Those who violate the new law face fines or up to two years in prison. Before it can take effect, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II needs to sign it. That is expected to happen this month.
A Quran burning and requests for protests to destroy holy books, including the Bible, leave Sweden torn between free speech and respect for religious minorities.
In neighboring Sweden, which also has seen a string of Quran burnings and requests to stage protests involving the destruction of holy books, a government-appointed investigation will establish whether to review the police ordinance, the Swedish news agency TT wrote.
Swedish police should be able to weigh threats to the nation’s security during the examination of an application for a public assembly where the desecration of a holy book is included, TT said.
There is no law in Sweden specifically prohibiting the burning or desecration of the Quran or other religious texts.
Like many Western countries, Sweden doesn’t have any blasphemy laws.
The clash of fundamental principles has complicated Sweden’s desire to join NATO, an expansion that gained urgency after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine but needs the approval of all current members. Turkey has blocked Swedish accession since last year, citing reasons including anti-Turkish and anti-Islamic protests in Stockholm.
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