Denmark Passes Law to Prevent Burning Copies of the Quran

The Danish parliament approved a bill today, Thursday, criminalizing the burning of copies of the Quran in public places. This decision comes after protests in Islamic countries due to the desecration of copies of the Quran raised security concerns for Denmark. Denmark and Sweden have witnessed a series of public protests this year, during which anti-Islam activists burned or tore copies of the Quran, leading to tensions with Muslims and calls for the governments of both Scandinavian countries to prohibit such actions. Denmark aimed to strike a balance between freedom of expression, as provided by the constitution—which includes the right to criticize religion—and national security, amid fears that burning copies of the Quran could result in attacks from extremist Islamists.