On Thursday, Denmark’s parliament passed a law making it illegal to engage in the ‘inappropriate treatment’ of religious texts, effectively prohibiting the desecration of the Holy Quran.
This decision comes in response to a series of incidents over the summer in which the holy book was desecrated, leading to widespread anger in Muslim nations. The legislation, which outlaws the ‘inappropriate treatment of writings with significant religious importance for a recognized religious community,’ received approval with 94 votes in favor and 77 opposed in the 179-seat Folketing. Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard emphasized the importance of safeguarding Denmark’s security and its citizens, stating, ‘We must protect the security of Denmark and the Danes.
Therefore, it is important that we now have better protection against the systematic insults we have seen for a long time.’ It will be illegal to burn, rip, or in any other way desecrate sacred writings in public or in videos meant to be shared extensively. Lawbreakers run the danger of a fine or even two years in prison; their cases are reviewed every three years.
A series of rallies, including the destruction of the Holy Quran over the summer months, brought Denmark and neighboring Sweden under intense criticism from several Muslim nations. Firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr’s demand in late July sparked around a thousand protesters to try to march to the Danish embassy in Baghdad’s guarded Green Zone. The Nordic nation briefly strengthened border restrictions in reaction to the deteriorating security situation, but on August 22, things went back to normal.
Official police records in Denmark report that 483 incidents of flag or book burning took place between October 24 and July 21 of this year. Following complaints that its first draft restricted free speech and would be challenging to implement, the bill—which had been announced at the end of August—was revised. Originally, the coverage was to include items of great religious significance.
Many, including politicians, artists, media, and experts on free expression, criticized the first draft for being a reversion to a blasphemy law that Denmark had repealed in 2017. Before the vote, opposition legislators engaged in a protracted debate in parliament during which they denounced the government for allegedly compromising freedom of speech.
In Sweden, the government has criticized the desecration of the Holy Quran at protests while maintaining its commitment to the constitutionally protected rights of freedom of speech and assembly. The government has expressed its determination to explore legal avenues to prevent protests that involve burning holy texts under specific circumstances. Denmark is not the sole European nation that has prohibited the burning of the Holy Quran.
According to Denmark’s justice ministry, eight other European countries—Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania—have implemented such bans to varying extents. For instance, in Greece, the burning of a sacred text may be prohibited if the act occurs in or near a religious site.”
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