Denmark Passes Law On The Prohibition Of Al-Qur'an Burning, Minister Of Justice: Such Demonstrations Are Harmful

Protests about the burning of the Qur'an. (Wikimedia Commons/Tasnim News Agency/Mighdad Madadi)

JAKARTA - The Danish Parliament on Thursday passed a law banning the burning of the Qur'an in public places, in an attempt to ease tensions with Muslim countries, after a spate of protests in Denmark that burned the Muslim holy book and angered it.

The law's vote was carried out after a five-hour debate in parliament. As a result, 94 members voted in favor, 77 opposed.

According to Justice Minister Peter Totalgaard, more than 500 demonstrations that include burning the Qur'an or flag have been recorded since July.

"Such a demonstration could harm Denmark's relations with other countries, our interests, and ultimately our safety," Minister Juligaard said.

Violating the new law will be subject to a fine or up to two years in prison, the government said.

Denmark seeks to strike a balance between constitutionally protected freedom of expression, including the right to criticize religion, with national security amid concerns that the burning of the Qur'an will trigger opposition.

Denmark and Sweden experienced a series of public protests this year when anti-Islamic activists burned or damaged copies of the Qur'an, sparking demands that the governments of Nordic countries ban the practice.

Domestic critics in Sweden and Denmark argue any restrictions on criticism of religion, including the burning of the Qur'an, will weaken the liberal freedom that the region has worked so hard to fight for.

"History will judge us harshly on this matter, and this is indeed reasonable," said Inger Stojberg, leader of the Danish Democratic Party.

"It all depends on whether restrictions on freedom of expression are determined by us, or determined from the outside," he continued.

Meanwhile, the Danish centrist coalition government argues that this new regulation will only have a small impact on freedom of opinion and criticism of religion in other ways remains valid.

Separately, Sweden is also considering ways to prevent the burning of the Qur'an, but is also considering whether the police should consider national security when deciding the petition for protests over the ban.