Denmark will ban Quran burning on national security grounds

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
25 Aug 2023 16:23

The Justice Minister of Denmark announces that a new bill will be presented to the Danish government to ban the desecration of religious books and symbols.

Denmark Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Loekke Rasmussen, Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard, and Deputy Prime Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen present a bill for a Quran burning ban, on August 25, 2023, in Copenhagen. (AFP)

The Danish government announced, on Friday, that it will present a bill to ban Quran burning after a series of desecrations have sparked anger across Muslim countries.

According to Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard, the bill is set to "prohibit the inappropriate treatment of objects of significant religious importance to a religious community," specifically when it is being done in public spaces.

Hummelgaard explained that the most recent desecrations were "fundamentally contemptuous" and could be considered an "unsympathetic act" that would "harm Denmark and its interests."

Moreover, the Justice Minister underscored that the primary "motivation" for the ban was national security, adding that "We can't continue to stand by with our arms crossed while several individuals do everything they can to provoke violent reactions."

The new regulation would be incorporated into Chapter 12 of Denmark's penal code, which deals with national security. This law will also apply to any desecrations of the Bible, the Torah, or religious symbols such as the crucifixes, for example. Those who violate the law risk a fine and two years in jail.

Iran summons Denmark, Sweden chargés d'affaires over Quran burning

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the chargés d'affaires of the Danish and Swedish embassies in Tehran, earlier in August, to express its strong protest against the continued disrespect towards the Holy Quran.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the chargés d'affaires of the Swedish and Danish embassies in Tehran were summoned due to the recurring insults directed at the Quran and Islamic sanctities in these two countries.

The statement condemned the repeated violations of the Holy Quran and held the governments of both countries fully responsible for any consequences resulting from such disrespect towards the Quran and Islamic sanctities.

Prior to that, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian emphasized that the mission of the Swedish ambassador had ended, indicating that his country would not receive a new ambassador unless Sweden takes action to preserve the sanctity of the Holy Quran.