Domestic opponents in Denmark and Sweden have argued clearly that any restrictions on criticizing religion, including by burning Korans, undermine the region’s hard-fought liberal freedoms.
Denmark’s parliament passed a bill on Thursday that brands it illegal to burn copies of Quran in public places, after protests in Muslim countries over the vandalism of Islam’s sacred book raised Danish security concerns.
Denmark and Sweden encountered a series of public protests this year where anti-Islam activists scorched or otherwise vandalized copies of the Quran, igniting tensions with Muslims and prompting demands that the Nordic governments ban the practice.
Domestic opponents in Sweden and Denmark have argued clearly that any restrictions on religion criticism, such as burning Korans, harm the region’s hard-fought liberal freedoms.
Denmark’s centric coalition government has contended that the new guidelines will barely affect freedom of speech and that criticizing religion in other ways still remains legal.
