The government will propose legislation that will ban the public burning of the Koran, the Bible or the Torah, as well as religious symbols such as the cross
Denmark’s government today unveiled a bill that would make it illegal to burn copies of the Koran in public places, as part of the country’s efforts to de-escalate tensions with many Muslim-majority countries.
“The government will propose legislation that will prohibit the inappropriate use of objects of great religious importance to a religious community,” Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said during a press conference.
“The bill will criminalize, for example, the public burning of the Koran, the Bible or the Torah,” but also religious symbols such as the cross, he added, calling the burning of copies of the Koran a “fundamentally contemptible act” that “harms Denmark and the its interests”.
The new bill will be included in article 12 of the criminal code dealing with national security, with Hummelgaard explaining that “we cannot stand idly by while some individuals are doing everything they can to provoke violent reactions.”
Violators will face a fine and two years in prison.
In recent weeks, Denmark and Sweden have seen several protests in which participants have burned, trampled or torn copies of the Koran, angering Muslim countries, which have called on the two Nordic countries to stop the actions.
Source :Skai
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