Amid growing pressure and threats of terrorist retaliation, officials in Denmark have caved and called for burning the Quran to be made a crime after such acts sparked protests domestically and around the Muslim world.
Danish citizens may soon no longer be able to desecrate the book, which is seen by many believers as the literal word of god and thus among the holiest objects on earth, nor any other religious objects deemed significant by any faith group.
The proposal, announced Friday, has not yet been presented to the Danish parliament, which did away with its archaic blasphemy laws in 2017. Free speech is enshirined in the constitution, thus it will be difficult to institute restrictions.
According to Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard, the new law would be written into existing legislation banning the desecration of other nations' flags, and would "prohibit the inappropriate treatment of objects of significant religious importance to a religious community."
He added that the primary purpose of the legislation was to target those who publicly disrespect such objects, and that anyone who violates the law could face up to two years in prison, or a fine.
"The proposal will thus make it punishable to, for example, in public burn a Quran, bible or Torah," Hummelgaard explained. "I fundamentally believe there are more civilized ways to express one's views than burning things."
A number of Quran burnings have taken place in Denmark over the past few months for various reasons. Regardless of the motivation, the acts sparked outrage among Muslim communities at home and abroad.
It was recently revealed that Danish authorities had thwarted numerous planned terror attacks across the country, and that the nation would "increase the focus on who is entering Denmark in order to respond to the specific and current threats."
Hummelgard said it was also important to go after those who upset the would-be attackers in the first place, suggesting they "do everything they can to provoke violent reactions."
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the nation's stance on the matter will send an "important political signal" to the rest of the world, namely the nations whose citizens have come to believe that Denmark is a place where free speech reins supreme over the feelings of a religious group.
In neighboring Sweden, a similar series of events has taken place. After an Iraqi refugee publicly desecrated a Quran in the nordic nation, protestors stormed the Swedish embassy in Iraq, calling on the government to ban the "blasphemous" act. Earlier this year, protestors in Turkey called not only for the burning of the Swedish flag, but the nation itself.
Whether it's burning the Quran, or poking fun at the prophet Muhammad, acts committed by those in European nations seen as blasphemous by Muslims have led to increased tensions, and even death. In 2015, for example, 12 people working for the French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo were murdered by Islamic extremists after they dared publish a cartoon depicting the religious figure.
Danish citizens may soon no longer be able to desecrate the book, which is seen by many believers as the literal word of god and thus among the holiest objects on earth, nor any other religious objects deemed significant by any faith group.
The proposal, announced Friday, has not yet been presented to the Danish parliament, which did away with its archaic blasphemy laws in 2017. Free speech is enshirined in the constitution, thus it will be difficult to institute restrictions.
According to Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard, the new law would be written into existing legislation banning the desecration of other nations' flags, and would "prohibit the inappropriate treatment of objects of significant religious importance to a religious community."
He added that the primary purpose of the legislation was to target those who publicly disrespect such objects, and that anyone who violates the law could face up to two years in prison, or a fine.
"The proposal will thus make it punishable to, for example, in public burn a Quran, bible or Torah," Hummelgaard explained. "I fundamentally believe there are more civilized ways to express one's views than burning things."
A number of Quran burnings have taken place in Denmark over the past few months for various reasons. Regardless of the motivation, the acts sparked outrage among Muslim communities at home and abroad.
It was recently revealed that Danish authorities had thwarted numerous planned terror attacks across the country, and that the nation would "increase the focus on who is entering Denmark in order to respond to the specific and current threats."
Hummelgard said it was also important to go after those who upset the would-be attackers in the first place, suggesting they "do everything they can to provoke violent reactions."
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said the nation's stance on the matter will send an "important political signal" to the rest of the world, namely the nations whose citizens have come to believe that Denmark is a place where free speech reins supreme over the feelings of a religious group.
In neighboring Sweden, a similar series of events has taken place. After an Iraqi refugee publicly desecrated a Quran in the nordic nation, protestors stormed the Swedish embassy in Iraq, calling on the government to ban the "blasphemous" act. Earlier this year, protestors in Turkey called not only for the burning of the Swedish flag, but the nation itself.
Whether it's burning the Quran, or poking fun at the prophet Muhammad, acts committed by those in European nations seen as blasphemous by Muslims have led to increased tensions, and even death. In 2015, for example, 12 people working for the French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo were murdered by Islamic extremists after they dared publish a cartoon depicting the religious figure.
