{"id":32712,"date":"2023-12-07T22:13:42","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T22:13:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/denmarks-parliament-adopts-law-banning-desecration-of-holy-quran-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-12-07T22:13:42","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T22:13:42","slug":"denmarks-parliament-adopts-law-banning-desecration-of-holy-quran-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/denmarks-parliament-adopts-law-banning-desecration-of-holy-quran-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"Denmark’s parliament adopts law banning desecration of Holy Quran | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Denmark’s parliament on Thursday adopted a law criminalising the “inappropriate treatment” of religious texts, effectively banning desecration of Holy Quran after a series of desecrations of the holy book sparked anger in Muslim countries over the summer.<\/p>\n

The bill, which prohibits “inappropriate treatment of writings with significant religious importance for a recognised religious community”, was passed with 94 votes in favour and 77 opposed in the 179-seat Folketing.<\/p>\n

“We must protect the security of Denmark and the Danes. Therefore, it is important that we now have better protection against the systematic insults we have seen for a long time,” Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said in a statement.<\/p>\n

In practical terms, it will be forbidden to burn, tear or otherwise defile holy texts publicly or in videos intended to be disseminated widely.<\/p>\n

Those who break the law, which will be evaluated after three years, risk a fine or up to two years in prison.<\/p>\n

Over the summer, Denmark and neighbouring Sweden became the focus of anger across several Muslim countries after a slew of protests involving desecrations of the Holy Quran.<\/p>\n

Nearly a thousand protesters attempted to march to the Danish embassy in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone in late July following a call by firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr.<\/p>\n

Read also: In a first, Sweden convicts man for desecration of Holy Quran<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

In response to the worsened security situation, the Scandinavian country temporarily tightened border controls, but returned to normal on August 22.<\/p>\n

Between July 21 and October 24 this year, 483 book burnings or flag burnings were recorded in Denmark, according to national police figures.<\/p>\n

Initially announced at the end of August, the bill was amended following criticism that its first draft limited freedom of expression and would be difficult to enforce.<\/p>\n

It was originally planned to cover objects of significant religious importance.<\/p>\n

The first draft was also criticised by some — including politicians, artists, media and freedom of speech experts — as a return to a blasphemy law that Denmark abolished in 2017.<\/p>\n

During a lengthy debate in parliament ahead of the vote, opposition lawmakers railed against the government, accusing it of sacrificing freedom of expression.<\/p>\n

“It is a betrayal. A huge failure on the part of the government,” Inger Stojberg, leader of far-right Denmark Democrats, told parliament.<\/p>\n

Read: Denmark to ban desecration of Holy Quran<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2006, a wave of anti-Danish anger and violence erupted in the Muslim world following the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).<\/p>\n

“Imagine that we are becoming the generation that curtailed freedom of speech. I hadn’t actually thought this would be — and certainly not after the caricatures crisis. Back then, we stood firm,” Stojberg said.<\/p>\n

In neighbouring Sweden, the government has condemned desecrations of the Holy Quran at protests while upholding the country’s constitutionally protected freedom of speech and assembly laws.<\/p>\n

It has vowed to explore legal means of stopping protests involving the burning of holy texts in certain circumstances.<\/p>\n

Denmark is not the only European country to have banned burnings of the Holy Quran.<\/p>\n

According to Denmark’s justice ministry, eight European countries — Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland and Romania — do so to varying degrees.<\/p>\n

In Greece, for example, the burning of a sacred text can be banned if the act takes place in or near a religious site.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n