Denmark passed legislation on Thursday effectively criminalizing Islamophobic Quran-burning protests on the grounds of “inappropriate treatment of writings with significant importance for a recognized religious community.”
Following a heated debate among lawmakers, the bill was passed with 94 votes in favor and 77 votes against in the 179-member Danish parliament.
The bill makes it illegal to burn, tear, or defile holy texts in public or online to widely disseminate them, which means offenders can risk a fine or jail term for as many as two years.
The bill was first introduced in August but was later amended due to concerns raised within the ruling coalition about freedom of speech.
The Danish Justice Ministry said in a statement that the law is aimed to combat “systematic mockery,” which raises terror threat levels in Denmark.
Earlier in August, members of the ultranationalist group Danske Patrioter, or Danish Patriots, burned a copy of the Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Copenhagen.
The perpetrators chanted anti-Islamic slogans during the provocative act, which was carried out under police protection.
From July 21 to October 24, 483 book burnings or flag burnings were recorded in Denmark, according to national police figures.
In 2006, Denmark was at the centre of widespread anger in the Muslim world after a Danish newspaper posted 12 cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, including one wearing a bomb as a turban.
Muslims consider images of the prophet as being sacrilegious and encouraging idolatry. The images escalated into violent anti-Denmark protests by Muslims worldwide.
Sweden, too, is considering ways to legally limit Quran desecrations but is taking a different approach than Denmark.
It is looking into whether police should factor in national security when deciding on applications for public protests.
