Denmark Makes It Illegal To Burn The Quran

Denmark’s Parliament passed a law on Thursday to make it illegal to burn the Quran in public places.

The move follows several public protests during which anti-Muslim and Islamophobic activists burned Islam’s holy book, the Quran. The bill passed with 94 votes in favor and 77 opposed, prohibits “inappropriate treatment of writings with significant religious importance for a recognized religious community.

Per the new legislation, burning, tearing, or defiling holy texts, including the Quran, publicly will be punishable by fines or up to two years in prison.

The purpose of the law is to counter “the systematic mockery” that has contributed to increasing the threat of terrorism in Denmark, officials said, according to Al Jazeera.

According to Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard, more than 500 demonstrations that included burnings of the Quran or flags were registered since July.

“Such demonstrations can hurt Denmark’s relations to other nations, our interests, and ultimately our safety,” Hummelgaard said.

Countries across the globe, including Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Jordan, Syria, and Palestine, criticized European governments earlier this year after videos of the Quran being burned in both Sweden and Denmark went viral.

While some officials argued that the move impacts liberal freedoms in the region, the Parliament argued that the new rules will only have a marginal impact on free speech, and that criticizing religion in other ways remains legal.

Neighboring country Sweden is also considering ways to prevent the burning of the Quran, including whether or not police should factor in national security when deciding on protest applications.

The law is expected to be enforced beginning this month after Queen Margrethe formally signs it. That is expected to happen this month.

Those who break the law risk a fine or up to two years in prison.