Denmark seeks a ‘legal tool’ to prevent Quran burnings – FM

Attacks on the Muslim holy text, according to Lars Lokke Rasmussen, only promote discord.

Denmark will seek a legislative mechanism to prevent the public burning of the Quran, which has sparked protests and outrage around the Muslim world, Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Sunday.

“We must find a legal tool that allows us to prevent the Quran from being burned in front of foreign embassies in Denmark,” Rasmussen said, adding that such actions “only serve the purpose of creating division.”

“That is why, as a government, we have decided to look into how, in very special circumstances, we can put an end to mockery of other countries, which is in direct conflict with Danish interests and the safety of the Danish people,” the minister emphasised.

Rasmussen went on to say that there must be “room for religious criticism” and that the government does not want to pass a blasphemy law.

The Danish prime minister’s statement came after Sweden’s prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, said he was “extremely worried” that similar attacks on the Quran might cause unrest in his country.

Following a series of incidents in which protestors burned or otherwise desecrated copies of the Quran, both Denmark and Sweden have received reaction. Protests and condemnation erupted around the Muslim world in response to the burning. On July 20, an enraged crowd stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad, setting fire to parts of the structure.

Russia also condemned the attacks on the Muslim holy book, labelling them as hate crimes by President Vladimir Putin.

The authorities in Sweden and Denmark condemned the Quran burnings, but claimed that such actions were protected under the freedom of expression.