Denmark’s Parliament on Thursday passed a law prohibiting the “improper treatment” of religious texts, effectively outlawing the burning of the Quran.
This decision comes after recent incidents involving the desecration of the Quran sparked widespread anger in the Islamic world.
The bill, which garnered 94 votes in favor against 77 opposing, in the 179-seat Parliament, targets the mistreatment of texts that hold great religious significance to recognized religious communities. The new law practically bans the public burning, tearing, or desecration of religious texts, including in widely disseminated video content.
Violators of this law face penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment for up to two years. Over the summer, Denmark and its neighbor Sweden incited fury in several Muslim countries following protests that involved the burning and desecration of the Quran.
In a notable incident on July 20, supporters of Iraqi leader Muqtada al-Sadr stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad and set it ablaze, in response to events in Stockholm where the Quran was desecrated by an Iraqi refugee.
Amid these tensions, the Scandinavian country temporarily tightened border controls, returning to normal on August 22. Between July 21 and October 24 this year, Danish police recorded 483 instances of burning symbols or flags.
The law, initially revealed at the end of August, underwent amendments following criticisms that its first draft limited freedom of expression and would be challenging to enforce.
The Danish Parliament announced plans to ban the burning of the Quran last November following disturbances recorded in several Muslim-majority countries over desecration of copies of the holy book in the Scandinavian nation.
Last October, Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard stated in a statement that the bill has been tailored to specifically target “improper handling of writings that hold great religious significance for a religion.”
