Anyone who breaks the law against burning, tearing, or desecrating holy scriptures in public risks a fine or up to two years in prison.
Denmark’s parliament has passed a law making it illegal to burn copies of the Koran in public, after protests in Islamic countries over blasphemy against the holy book raised security concerns.
The bill, which bans “improper handling of documents of religious significance to recognized religious communities,” was passed on Thursday by a vote of 179, with 94 votes in favor and 77 votes against.
As a practical matter, it is prohibited to burn, tear, or otherwise desecrate holy scriptures in public or in videos intended to be widely disseminated.
If you violate the law, you risk a fine or up to two years in prison. Before it can take effect, Queen Margrethe must formally sign it. It is expected to happen this month.
According to the Ministry of Justice, the law aims to counter “systematic ridicule” that is contributing to the escalation of the threat of terrorism, particularly in Denmark.
Growing protests
Denmark and Sweden have seen a series of public protests this year in which anti-Muslim activists burned or destroyed copies of the Quran, escalating tensions with Muslims and prompting calls for governments to ban it.
Hundreds of protesters march on the Danish embassy in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone in late July following a call from influential Shiite religious and political leader Moqtada al-Sadr. I tried.
In response to the deteriorating security situation, the Scandinavian country temporarily tightened border controls.
According to national police statistics, 483 cases of book burning or flag burning were recorded in Denmark between July 21 and October 24.
The bill was originally announced at the end of August, but was amended after criticism that the first draft restricted freedom of expression and was difficult to implement. Initially, it was planned to focus on subjects of religious importance.
Denmark has sought to strike a balance between constitutionally protected freedom of speech, including the right to criticize religion, and national security over concerns that the burning of the Koran could trigger an attack. Ta.
Domestic critics in Sweden and Denmark argue that any restrictions on religious criticism, such as burning the Koran, would undermine the region’s hard-fought freedoms.
“History will judge us harshly on this, and for good reason. …At the end of the day, are the limits on free speech determined by us or dictated from outside? That’s true,” said Inger Støjberg, leader of the anti-immigration Danish Democratic Party, which opposed the ban.
Denmark’s centrist coalition government insists the new rules have only a marginal impact on freedom of speech and that criticizing religion in other ways remains legal.
In 2006, Denmark became the center of widespread anger in the Muslim world after a Danish newspaper published 12 cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, including one with a bomb wrapped as a turban. Muslims consider statues of the Prophet to be blasphemous and encourage idolatry. These images escalated into violent anti-Danish protests by Muslims around the world.
Sweden is also considering ways to legally limit desecration of the Koran, but is taking a different approach than Denmark.
Police are considering whether national security should be considered when deciding on applications for public protests.