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
