Denmark may ban burning of holy texts including Qur’an

Copenhagen: The Danish government is considering to legally ban the burning of religious texts including Qur’an following protests over a string similar incidents in the nation, The Guardian reported.

There have been widespread protest following incidents where the Qur’an was desecrated in Denmark and Sweden.

The move to mend ill-feeling in Muslim world comes as Saudi Arabia and Iraq called for a meeting of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Monday to discuss the ‘desecration’ of Qur’an in Sweden and Denmark.

As the protests have played into the hands of extremists, a statement from the foreign ministry said, the government want to intervene the incidents of ‘other countries, cultures and religions are being insulted’.

It further said that such incidents could have ‘significant negative consequences for Denmark, not least with regard to security.’

However, the statement suggested that the government was considering to legally stop such actions ‘within the framework of constitutionally protected freedom of expression’.

Desecrations of the Qur’an in both Sweden and Denmark led to ‘diplomatic tensions’ between Middle East and both the nations.

According to the Danish government, the protests ‘reached a level’ where Denmark is being ‘viewed as a country that facilitates insult and denigration of cultures, religions and traditions of other countries’.

Following the incidents of the Qur’an burning, some countries in Middle East summoned the envoys of both the Nordic nations to register their protest.

Meanwhile, the Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said a similar process to legally ban the desecration of holy books is underway in his country too, adding that he was in close contact with Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen.

‘We have also started to analyse the legal situation already … in order to consider measures to strengthen our national security and the security of Swedes in Sweden and around the world,’ Kristersson was quoted as saying.