Koran burning could be banned in Denmark after fiery protests

Protesters scale a wall at the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad

Barney Davis @BarneyDavisES31 July 2023

Denmark is considering banning the burning of holy texts after copies of the Koran were set on fire by far-right provocateurs, outraging Muslims worldwide.

Two far-right activists destroyed a copy of Islam’s holy book outside Iraq’s embassy in Copenhagen last week. It comes after Sweden’s embassy in Baghdad was stormed and set ablaze by angry protesters following the planned burning of a Koran in front of the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm

The two protesters were from a group that calls itself “Danish Patriots”, and live-streamed the events on Facebook in a protest allowed under rules protecting free speech.

But Demark’s Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said he would “find a legal tool” to prevent the burnings as demonstrations have raged across Iran and Iraq.

In a statement, he said: “The burnings are deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals. These few individuals do not represent the values the Danish society is built on.”

“The Danish government will therefore explore the possibility of intervening in special situations where, for instance, other countries, cultures, and religions are being insulted, and where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark, not least with regard to security.”

Denmark and Sweden have found themselves in the international spotlight in recent weeks following anti-Islam protests where the Koran , the Muslim holy book, has been damaged or burned, offending Muslims around the world.

Both countries have said they deplore the burning of the Koran but cannot prevent it under rules protecting free speech.

In his statement, Rasmussen added that whatever measure was taken “must of course be done within the framework of the constitutionally protected freedom of expression and in a manner that does not change the fact that freedom of expression in Denmark has very broad scope”.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told his Swedish counterpart Tobias Billstrom that the continuation of such “vile actions” under the guise of freedom of expression was unacceptable.