Danish MPs Vote to Ban Desecration of Religious Texts after Qur’an Burnings

GUARDIAN EUROPE: String of incidents where Islamic text was burned in Denmark and Sweden prompted intensively debated bill

A far-right group burning a copy of the Qur’an in Copenhagen, Denmark, in July. Photograph: Ole Jensen/Getty Images
The Danish parliament has voted to ban the burning of religious scriptures after a series of Qur’an desecrations in the country and neighbouring Sweden.

After months of intensive debate, a bill making it illegal to burn, soil, trample on or cut recognised religious scriptures including the Qur’an, the Bible or the Torah was passed with 94 votes in favour and 77 against.

Over the summer copies of the Qur’an were burned or otherwise damaged during a series of protests in Denmark and Sweden, prompting international uproar. The diplomatic crisis that followed led both governments to say they would look at ways to legally limit such acts.

The Danish government has presented the move as a security measure. Presenting the proposal in August, the justice minister, Peter Hummelgaard, a Social Democrat, said: “It harms Denmark and Danish interests, and risks harming the security of Danes abroad and here at home.”

Those who break the new law could be punished with fines or up to two years in prison. » | Miranda Bryant in Stockholm | Thursday, December 7, 2023

The politicians in the Danish parliament must be a lily-livered lot! This is a truly retrograde step. Whatever happened to freedom of expression in Denmark? Is someone also going to be imprisoned for burning fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm?

This is the re-introduction of a blasphemy law through the back door! Weakness! Weakness! Weakness! Weakness, which helps the Islamization of Europe along. Shame on the lot of you! – © Mark Alexander

Sweden Raises Terrorist Threat Level after Qur’an Burnings

THE GUARDIAN: Threat raised to second highest level as Sweden deems itself an ‘increased focus’ for Islamic extremists

Supporters of a radical Islamist party burn the Swedish flag during a rally in Karachi, Pakistan.Photograph: Fareed Khan/AP
Sweden has raised its terrorist threat level to the second highest number possible, amid heightened security fears following a string of Qur’an burnings that have caused outrage around the world.

Raising the threat level from three, meaning “heightened threat”, to four, “high threat” on the five-point scale, the Swedish security service (Säpo) said that in recent months Sweden has shifted from a “legitimate” to a “prioritised” target for acts of terror.

It is the first time since 2016 that the country has changed its threat level to four.

Making the announcement on Thursday in Stockholm, Charlotte von Essen, the director general of Säpo, said that Sweden was becoming an “increased focus” for Islamic extremists. » | Miranda Bryant in Copenhagen | Thursday, August 17, 2023

Profanations du Coran : la Suède relève son niveau d’alerte terroriste : Après que plusieurs profanations du Coran ont eu lieu sur son sol, le pays nordique s’inquiète des réactions qui font du pays une « cible prioritaire ». »

Al-Kaida ruft nach Koranverbrennung in Skandinavien zu Anschlägen auf: Die Terrorgruppe Al-Kaida reagiert auf die öffentlichen Koranverbrennungen: Sie ruft dazu auf, die Botschaften von Schweden und Dänemark zu sprengen. »