Denmark will explore possible legal grounds to block public burnings of the Koran as the Nordic country tries to defuse escalating tensions with Muslim nations.
The Danish government wants to intervene in situations where “other countries, cultures, and religions are being insulted, and where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark,” the foreign ministry said in a statement late Sunday. Desecration of holy texts “could also have major security implications,” it said.
Koran burnings in Denmark and neighboring Sweden have sparked protests in Iraq and in the Middle East, a throwback to 2005 when a Danish newspaper published 12 drawings of the Prophet Muhammad, which set off a diplomatic crisis. Back then, Denmark’s government said the cartoons were protected by freedom of speech and said it couldn’t intervene.
The new move would be made “within the framework of the constitutionally protected freedom of expression,” the ministry said in the statement, without providing details.
Jens Elo Rytter, professor of constitutional law at the University of Copenhagen, said in an interview with broadcaster TV2 it will be difficult for the government to implement a general ban against burnings of the Koran within the current legal framework, after a broad majority in parliament in 2017 scrapped the country’s blasphemy law.
Denmark’s move comes ahead of a meeting between 57 governments of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation later on Monday, held in response to the burnings of the Koran in Denmark and Sweden. Several Danish opposition party leaders have condemned the proposal, saying it is a betrayal of freedom of speech and giving in to violent actions.
Neighboring Sweden last week warned of a deteriorating security situation after disinformation campaigns fueled hatred across the Muslim world. Since January this year, burnings of the Koran in the country have also impeded its process to become a member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Sweden abolished blasphemy laws in 1970 and recent attempts by police to block public desecration of holy scriptures have been struck down by administrative courts ruling that freedom of speech must be prioritized, barring any immediate safety threat. The government has said it is reviewing laws on public order in the wake of recent events, and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Sunday discussed the issue with Denmark’s premier, Mette Frederiksen.
“Sweden and Denmark are two of the world’s most well-functioning democracies, standing up for the freedom of speech and assembly,“ Kristersson said in a Facebook post. “Individual countries may not choose the exact same path going forward but we share the analysis that this is a dangerous situation and that measures are needed to strengthen our resilience.“
The burnings in Denmark have been carried out by small groups of people from far-right movements. A resident from Iran has also set fire to the bible and the Torah outside of Israel’s embassy in Copenhagen in a retaliation protest.
“These actions play into the hands of extremists,” the foreign ministry said in the Sunday statement. “They sow division at a time when we need to stand together, and they benefit the countries that want to drive a wedge between the West and the Global South.”
(Updates with comments from legal expert in 5th paragraph, Swedish government from 8th)
Author: Christian Wienberg, Sanne Wass and Niclas Rolander
