Last August, the Danish government announced its intention to legislate a law banning the burning of Qurans in public places. This followed incidents of Quran burning in Denmark and Sweden that sparked widespread anger in 57 Muslim-majority countries, with citizens of those countries calling for boycotts of Denmark and Sweden. The situation escalated to terrorist threats against Denmark and Sweden, their diplomatic missions, and their citizens. The ISIS terrorist organization even urged revenge against the "kings of Denmark and Sweden." Today, according to local media, Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard confirmed that the desire to enact the law stems from a desire to protect Danes against threats that must be taken seriously, particularly after the recent murder of two Swedes in Brussels.
The government’s previous announcement was met with harsh criticism from most parliamentary parties on both the right and left wings (the Blue Bloc and the Red Bloc), with the exception of the Radical Party and the Alternative Party. Thus, the government, with its three parties (the Social Democratic Party, the Liberal Party, and the Moderate Party), along with the Radical Party and the Alternative Party, will be able to vote on the bill with a comfortable parliamentary majority. No date was given for putting the bill to a vote in the Danish Parliament.
The Danish Ministry of Justice recently released a statement regarding amendments to the draft law banning the burning of copies of the Quran in public places, which was known from its inception as the "Koranlov Law." This follows 75 parliamentary inquiries and criticism from the national police, who described the previous draft as vague and difficult to understand and implement. Furthermore, over 500 people, including artists and social commentators, signed a declaration against the proposal, which they described as an attack on freedom of expression. A statement issued by the signatories in Berlingske asserted that the proposal "is not only an attack on art, political expression, and the free press, but also an attack on our free and democratic society," according to DR.
This is what was stated in the statement:
“Following a period of public consultation, the government is today submitting a legislative proposal to prohibit the desecration of writings of great religious significance to a recognized religious community. Based on this consultation, including feedback received and opinions raised in the public debate, several amendments have been made to the bill. The bill criminalizes the desecration of writings of great religious significance to a recognized religious group. The purpose of the bill is to take action against systematic mockery, including that which has contributed to the increased terrorist threat against Denmark.
The Danish National Police reported that between July 21, 2023, and October 24, 2023, 483 demonstrations involving the burning of books or flags were reported in Denmark. Meanwhile, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) stated that recent Quran burnings have impacted the current threat picture, and that the terrorist threat against Denmark has already escalated to a high level.
Following a period of consultation, the government amended the draft law in several areas. Among the most significant changes were the following:
- The bill is limited to applying only to the improper treatment of writings of great religious significance. It was previously planned to include objects of great religious importance.
- The bill is limited to religious denominations registered as recognized under the Religious Denominations and National Church Act. Previously, the bill was intended to include all religious denominations, regardless of whether they were registered as recognized.
- The bill's commentary stated that works of art in which the inappropriate treatment is a small part of a larger work would not be subject to the ban.
- It states that it will not be a criminal offense to overlook the improper treatment of writings of great religious significance to a recognized religious denomination.
- The bill will be evaluated after a period of three years.
Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard says:
“It was important for the government that the bill be as precise as possible. We chose to amend the bill, and this was done, among other things, based on the consultative response of the police union and concerns that the ban in its original form would be very difficult to implement in practice. With the changes we are now proposing, everything else will be easier to handle, including the police and the courts. As a result of the recent burning of the Quran, the terrorist threat against Denmark has already risen to a high level. Moreover, we have recently witnessed attacks in both France and Belgium, which, in my view, underscores the need to take the terrorist threat very seriously. This is why the government is taking action against systematic insults, which are aimed solely at creating discord and which have consequences for the security of Denmark and Danes. The government is taking a responsible approach to this situation by introducing this bill.”
The statement has ended.
It is worth noting that the bill consists of a 31-page document containing details of the new law.
