Denmark bans desecration of the Holy Qur'an
The Danish parliament has passed a bill that makes it illegal to desecrate copies of the Holy Qur'an in public places.
Several acts of desecration of the Holy Qur'an in Denmark in recent months sparked outrage among Muslims over the summer. The bill passed Thursday prohibits "inappropriate actions against texts of great religious significance to a recognized religious community." The bill was passed with 94 votes in favor and 77 votes against in the 179-seat parliament. Burning, tearing, or desecrating religious texts in public can result in fines or up to two years in prison. Defacing holy texts on video and distributing the video online can also land the person or persons in jail. Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard spoke after the bill was passed and said: "We must protect the security of Denmark and the Danes." Before the law can take effect, Queen Margrethe needs to sign the bill. The bill, announced at the end of August, was revised after criticism that its first draft restricted freedom of expression and would be difficult to implement. According to Danish police statistics, there were 483 acts of burning books or flags from July 21 to October 24 in Denmark.
