Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen stated today, "We hope that the fact we are sending signals both in Denmark and abroad, indicating that we are working to address this issue, will help calm the severity of the problems we are facing." Rasmussen added, "The reason for this is not that we feel pressured to act, but our political analysis suggests that it serves everyone's interest. We should not sit and wait for this matter to result in an explosion."
The Danish government announced on Sunday that it would seek to find a "legal tool" to enable authorities to intervene in these protests if deemed to have "serious negative consequences for Denmark, particularly regarding security." Nordic countries have expressed rejection of Quran burning instances, but constitutional laws protecting freedom of expression prevent them from prohibiting such acts.
Both governments are studying legal amendments that would allow authorities to prevent further Quran burning in specific situations. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström mentioned that he sent letters to all seventy-five member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to explain Sweden's right to conduct assemblies and condemned anti-Islamic actions.
Foreign ministers of the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation will meet in an emergency session today to discuss the latest developments. Instances of Quran burning occurred in both countries today.
