COPENHAGEN: Protests around the Muslim world seem to having borne fruit as the parliament of Denmark has approved a bill making defamation of the holy Quran such as its burning an offense.
With the new law, no one can desecrate the holy book as part of protest on the excuse of using their right to freedom of speech and expression.
It may be noted that incidents of burning of Quran had frequently occurred in Denmark and Sudan after which protests were held across the globe demanding a ban on such activities that hurt the sentiments of the Muslims.
The Danish government had earlier said it had prepared a bill that could lead to a countrywide ban on Quran burnings, amidst rising terror threats and outrage in the Muslim world.
Under the new bill, burning a Quran would be a crime subject to penalties or a maximum sentence of two years in jail.
Peter Hummelgaard, the justice minister, explained that the law was intended to be written into the same regulation that currently bans the desecration of other countries’ flags. The Danish law would prohibit the “improper treatment of objects of significant religious significance to a religious community”, he said.
Hummelgaard said that a spate of recent Quran burnings were “senseless taunts” aimed to incite “discord and hatred”, adding that national security was the primary “motivation” for the ban.
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.
Following the Quran burnings, the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom had declared that Danish officials had foiled several planned “terror” plots and made arrests.
Neighbouring Sweden has also said it was examining ways to legally limit Quran desecrations to reduce tensions after recent threats that led the country’s security officials to raise the terrorist threat level.
The bill would make it illegal to openly burn the Quran, Torah or Bible. The time for the bill proposal to the 179-seat Danish Parliament is still unknown.
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