The Danish government will try to find legal means that will enable authorities to prevent the burning of copies of the Quran in front of other countries’ embassies in Denmark, Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen has said.
“The burnings are deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals. These few individuals do not represent the values the Danish society is built on,” Rasmussen said in a statement on Sunday.
“The Danish government will therefore explore the possibility of intervening in special situations where, for instance, other countries, cultures, and religions are being insulted, and where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark, not least with regard to security,” he said.
Denmark and Sweden have found themselves in the international spotlight in recent weeks following protests where the Quran, the Islamic holy book, has been damaged or burned.
In a separate statement on Sunday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he had been in close contact with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen, and that a similar process was already under way in Sweden.
“We have also started to analyse the legal situation already … in order to consider measures to strengthen our national security and the security of Swedes in Sweden and around the world,” Kristersson said in a post to Instagram.
Outrage in Muslim countries
This month, far-right activists have carried out a number of public burnings of Islam’s holy book in front of the Iraqi, Egyptian, and Turkish embassies in the Danish capital.
On Monday, two members of the ultra-nationalist Danish Patriots stomped on a copy of the Quran and set it alight in a tin foil tray next to an Iraqi flag.
Earlier this month in Sweden, an Iraqi citizen living in the country, Salwan Momika, 37, stomped on the holy book and set several pages alight.
The public burnings in the Scandinavian countries have sparked widespread outrage across Muslim countries, with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Morocco, Qatar and Yemen lodging protests in response.
Sweden and Denmark have said they deplore the burning of the Koran but cannot prevent it under their rules protecting freedom of expression.
The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) earlier this month approved a resolution on religious hatred and bigotry following several burnings.
Pakistan and other Organisation of Islamic Cooperation countries backed the motion, along with a number of non-Muslim majority countries including India and Vietnam. The United States and the European Union opposed the resolution on the grounds it interfered with freedom of expression.
In his statement, Rasmussen added that whatever measure was taken “must of course be done within the framework of the constitutionally protected freedom of expression and in a manner that does not change the fact that freedom of expression in Denmark has very broad scope”.
I hoped it was clickbait, but it isn't. What the fuck Denmark.
Emphasis mine. This isn't some major restriction of free speech or anything, it's just a way to prevent idiots from trying to ruin diplomatic relations between Denmark and other countries.
So someone who escapes from a fundamentalist Muslim country can't protest that regime in front of said country's embassy anymore?
Nah, still fucking stupid.
We still don't know the exact wording of the law. So there's no way to know and no need to jump to outrage conclusions right now.
I'm going to jump to outrage because the entire premise of the proposed law is ridiculous, regardless of the wording.
This is a blasphemy law under the guise of international relations.
It could also be more akin to a hate speech law. We don't know yet. Jumping to outrage before we know is counterproductive and unnecessary.
I'll be right beside you with the outrage if it turns out to be actually outrageous when it lands - but let's see.
We don't really want religions to have the right to determine what is and is not hate speech against them. If given the chance, some of these people would define women not having their hair hidden or someone undergoing gender transition as offensive.
Trying not to take away your point. But is it really hate speech tho?
I suppose that's a question for a lawyer.
Yes, because burning the Quran isn't actually a big deal in Islam and is condoned as a disposal method. Every Muslim knows this.
So if you are an ex-mislim burning a Quran in front of an embassy, what else could be your message? The Quran isn't tied to a country so it can't be a protest against the country. It also can't be a legitimate protest against Islam, since it's condoned by the religion. You cannot protest by complying.
So that really only leaves one thing the Quran burning can mean: a threat to Muslims as a group. 'I'm setting a thing you are associated with and like on fire.'.
It's even more obvious when it's a non-muslim doing it.
It is a restriction on free speech, though, however you want to frame it. A free society should not countenance it.
A law that prevents someone from burning a book counts as a major restriction on free speech as far as I am concerned. It's a book for gods sake. The fact that burning it causes offense is immaterial.. simply causing offense to a group is not sufficient ground to place a restriction on an act that otherwise harms no one.
The good news is that the burnings are still legal in front of danish embassies in Denmark. Which of course is nonsense, but why stress that it's in front of foreign embassies, that doesn't even make any kind of sense, it's the only kind of embassies there is. But that's how the government chose to put it!?
Instead og this diplomacy nonsense, giving in to fanatic muslims and undermining our democracy. We should rather invite them to a danish hygge meeting, with danish beer and traditional danish roast pork, and say they can bring their dogs if they want.
We shouldn't let religious fanatics dictate what we do in Denmark, that has zero impact and does zero harm to them. While they still have a death sentence on Salman Rushdie, and perform terrorist acts in Europe!!
This is a slippery slope that will never end, until we say enough is enough.
Yeah sure sensible. Give up a little freedom for a little security. That will definitely give us both and make us deserve both.
Hey new rule. No more LGBT flags near those embassies. Also no more temples/shrines/churchs/whathaveyou for other religions except Islam near those embassies. Also women have to wear face coverings. No alcohol or pork to be served.
Slippery slope fallacy.
Oil money my friend, oil money can buy everything.
Denmark doesn't have unrestricted free speech. Censorship is against the constitution but hate speech, inciting violence or defamation is illegal and until 2017 blasphemy was illegal. There is some legal basis for punishing speech that is bringing the country into danger or is severely insulting another nation. I am not a lawyer so I don't know if it's applicable or if it will hold up in court.
Note that the government does not want to ban burning books. Just prevent/punish doing it as a provocation against another country.
I also want to stress that I am not defending the Danish government or the book burners. I just want to bring some needed nuance to the discussion
Also there's presedence in a lot of countries that restrict protesting in front of embassies.
For instance in Switzerland in front of US and UK embassies. Not that I'm for that. I hope the police in Bern gets reigned in soon for their conduct.