Danish government prepares bill to stop Quran burnings
(VOVWORLD) - The Danish government said on Friday it was proposing legislation that would make it illegal to burn copies of the Quran in public places, part of the Nordic country’s effort to de-escalate tensions with Muslim countries.
 Denmark's Minister of Foreign Affairs Lars Loekke Rasmussen, Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard and Deputy Prime Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen present a bill on a Quran burning ban. (Photo: Reuters) |
“The government will propose legislation that prohibits the inappropriate handling of objects with essential religious significance for a religious community,” Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard told a press conference.
Breaking the new law would be punishable by fines or up to two years in prison, he added. The government also rejected protests by some Danish opposition parties that said banning Quran burnings would infringe on free speech.
Denmark and Sweden have seen a string of protests in public in recent weeks where copies of the Quran have been burned or otherwise damaged, prompting outrage in Muslim nations which have demanded the Nordic governments put a stop to the burnings.