Denmark seeks ‘legal means’ to prevent Quran burnings

COPENHAGEN: The Danish government will try to find “legal means” that will enable authorities to prevent the burning of copies of the Holy Quran following vehement global backlash over sacrilegious acts in Denmark.

“The burnings are deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals. These few individuals do not represent the values the Danish society is built on,” Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said in a statement.

 “The Danish government will therefore explore the possibility of intervening in special situations where, for instance, other countries, cultures, and religions are being insulted, and where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark, not least with regard to security,” he said.

The statement, however, claimed that any measure taken in this regard “must of course be done within the framework of the constitutionally protected freedom of expression … in Denmark.”

Denmark and Sweden have found themselves in the international spotlight in recent weeks following protests where the Quran has been desecrated or burned.

In a separate statement, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he had been in close contact with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen, and that a similar process was already underway in Sweden.

“We have also started to analyse the legal situation already … in order to consider measures to strengthen our national security and the security of Swedes in Sweden and around the world,” Kristersson said in a post to Instagram.

The public burnings in the Scandinavian countries have sparked widespread outrage across Muslim countries, with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Morocco, Qatar and Yemen lodging protests in response.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) earlier this month approved a resolution on religious hatred and bigotry following several burnings.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is also expected to hold a meeting on Monday to address the desecration of the Holy Quran in Sweden and Denmark.