As Koran burning protests surge, Denmark considers clampdown

Denmark is to think about a brand new regulation banning the desecration of non secular books in entrance of international embassies over safety fears.

It comes after a string of Koran burning incidents in Denmark and Sweden sparked offended protests – and threatened a diplomatic disaster between the 2 international locations and Muslim nations.

Sweden can be “assessing” the authorized state of affairs after its embassy in Iraq was stormed by protesters in response to the burning of the Koran exterior the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm final month.

On Sunday, Denmark’s international minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen mentioned that the burning of holy scriptures “only serves the purpose of creating division in a world that actually needs unity”.

“That is why we have decided in the government that we will look at how, in very special situations, we can put an end to mockery of other countries, which is in direct conflict with Danish interests and the safety of the Danes,” he instructed the Danish public broadcaster DR.

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Burning protests

It comes after a current string of public Koran desecrations by anti-Islam activists in Denmark and neighbouring Sweden sparked offended demonstrations in Muslim international locations.

Last month, an Iraqi Christian refugee residing in Sweden burned a duplicate of the non secular textual content exterior Stockholm’s central mosque.

There have been additionally burning protest associated to Sweden’s software to affix NATO.

Those behind the incidents had hoped to stoke tensions with Turkey, which had beforehand vetoed Sweden’s entry to the alliance over long-running diplomatic disputes.

The protests later unfold to neighbouring Denmark, the place far-right activists set hearth to a Koran subsequent to an Iraqi flag earlier this month.

The Koran is Islam’s sacred textual content, and inflicting injury to it’s thought of extremely offensive to Muslims.

But Sweden and Denmark each have robust freedom of speech legal guidelines, and authorities had given permission for the protests upfront.

This sparked anger from Muslim international locations – together with Turkey, Iraq and Algeria.

Protesters storm embassies

Earlier this month, protesters in Iraq stormed the Swedish embassy in central Baghdad, scaling the partitions of the compound and setting it on hearth.

Days later, lots of of protesters tried to storm the town’s closely fortified diplomatic zone in response to the Koran burning incident in Denmark.

According to Mr Lokke Rasmussen, 5 Korans have been burnt on Sunday in entrance of international embassies within the Danish capital Copenhagen, whereas one other seven have been on account of be set alight on Monday.

He mentioned the Danish authorities was decided to search out “a legal tool” to ban such acts with out compromising the county’s freedom of expression legal guidelines.

“There must be room for religious criticism, and we have no thoughts of reintroducing a blasphemy clause,” he instructed DR.

“But when you stand up in front of a foreign embassy and burn a Koran or burn the Torah scroll in front of the Israeli embassy, it serves no other purpose than to mock.”

‘Deeply offensive’

The Danish authorities beforehand reiterated its dedication to freedom of expression in an announcement on Sunday.

But it added that the burning of the Koran had resulted within the nation being seen in lots of locations all over the world as a rustic “that facilitates insult and denigration of the cultures, religions, and traditions of other countries”.

It additionally condemned desecrations as “deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals” and “do not represent the values the Danish society is built on”.

In Sweden, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson mentioned on Sunday that his authorities is analysing the authorized state of affairs concerning desecration of the Koran and different holy books.

“We are in the most serious security policy situation since the Second World War,” Mr Kristersson mentioned.

The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation referred to as an emergency distant assembly on Monday to debate the Koran burnings in Sweden and Denmark.