Government
Denmark specifies its planned ban on burning the Koran
A Danish flag flies in Copenhagen: The Danish government is looking for legal ways to criminalize the burning of the Koran. photo
© picture alliance / dpa
Koran burnings in Denmark caused angry reactions in predominantly Muslim countries. The government wants to ban such actions and has improved a corresponding legislative proposal.
The Danish government has proposed a law to ban Koran burnings in the country adjusted at several points.
The draft now specifically aims at the inappropriate treatment of writings with essential religious significance for recognized religious communities, as the Ministry of Justice in Copenhagen announced. When the initiative was presented around two months ago, there was initially talk of inappropriate treatment of objects with significant religious significance.
The now adjusted proposal responds, among other things, to comments from the police union that were received during a public consultation phase, explained Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard. It is important that the design is as precise as possible. Action must be taken against systematic ridicule that only has the intention of sowing division and thus has an impact on the security of Denmark and Danish citizens.
background
Koran burnings in Sweden and Denmark in the summer led to angry reactions and sometimes violent protests in Muslim countries as well as diplomatic trouble for the Scandinavian states. Against this background, the Danish government announced that it would look for legal ways to criminalize such actions. However, the aim is not to restrict the constitutionally protected freedom of expression.
The Ministry of Justice wrote, citing police information, that a total of 483 demonstrations were registered between July 21 and October 24 in which books or flags were to be burned.