On Friday, the Danish government presented a revised bill to ban the burning of the Quran within its borders, following criticism of the initial version due to restrictions on freedom of expression and concerns about its enforceability.
The Ministry of Justice stated, “The scope of the bill has been limited to specifically target inappropriate treatment of sacred religious texts with great religious significance.”
The original proposal aimed to criminalize the desecration of all objects with significant religious importance.
The bill will be discussed during a parliamentary session scheduled for November 14th.
Last August, the government announced its intention to enact legislation after the burning of the Quran on Danish soil, which sparked anger in Islamic countries and posed threats to national security.
In Iraq, for instance, hundreds of protesters supporting influential religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr attempted to organize a march toward the Danish embassy in Baghdad in late July.
The initial draft of the law faced criticism from some quarters, with critics likening it to blasphemy laws, while legal experts expressed concerns about its enforcement.
Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard stated, “With the changes we propose today, the law will be easier to understand, including for the police and the courts,” emphasizing the heightened terrorist threat facing the country.
