Denmark Outlaws Burning of Religious Texts to Prevent Protests.
By Cameron Jordan. Published by NewsNibs.
Filed under: World, News from Spain
(NewsNibs) - In a significant legislative shift, Denmark's parliament has passed a legal reform to outlaw the burning of religious texts, a move primarily aimed at preventing the kind of protests that arose over the summer following the destruction of several copies of the Quran. The incidents had escalated into diplomatic strife with a number of Muslim-majority countries. The measure was passed with 94 votes in favor and 77 against, with the support of the three parties that constitute the current governing coalition led by the Social Democrats. The public broadcaster of Denmark reported the vote outcome.
The new law imposes fines and, for repeated offenses, a sentence of up to two years in prison for anyone found guilty of treating a religious text deemed significant to a recognized religious community in an "indecent" manner, whether in public or with the intent to disseminate the action. The reform has met with sharp criticism from the far-right opposition, which has accused the government of curtailing free expression and yielding to external pressures. However, their attempt to push the matter to a referendum did not materialize due to the refusal of the Popular Socialist Party to back such a move.
