Nordic governments aim to expand after new cases of Koran burning

2023-07-31 21:21:29, Kosova & Bota CNA

More copies of Islam's holy book were burned in Sweden and Denmark on Monday, July 31, as the governments of the two Nordic countries said they were considering legal ways to limit such acts in a bid to ease heightened tensions. in some Muslim countries.

In recent weeks, several protests have been held in Denmark and Sweden where copies of the Koran were burned or damaged. These protests have sparked outrage in Muslim countries, which have demanded that Nordic governments stop the burning of Islam's holy book.

The Danish government said on Sunday that it would try to find "a legal remedy" that would allow the authorities to intervene in such protests if it is judged that such protests bring "major negative consequences for Denmark, at least in related to security".

"The fact that we are signaling both in Denmark and abroad that we are working on this issue will hopefully help to expand the problems we are facing," Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said after the meeting with political leaders. of foreign affairs in the Danish Parliament on Monday.

"It's not that we're under pressure to act, but based on our political analysis it's in our best interest and everyone's," Rasmussen added.

Despite these warnings, copies of the Koran were burned in Denmark and Sweden on Monday. In Stockholm, an Iraqi refugee, who has organized several protests in recent weeks, burned a copy of the Koran in front of Sweden's Parliament. In Denmark, anti-Islam protesters burned the Koran in front of the Saudi Arabian Embassy building in Copenhagen, while other protests are planned later in the day.

In the two Nordic countries, authorities have been unable to stop the burning of copies of the Koran, as such acts are protected by freedom of expression laws.

However, the two governments have now said they are considering legal changes that would allow authorities to ban the burning of copies of the Koran.

The Swedish government said earlier this month that it was looking to find a solution, but right-wing parties have opposed these initiatives, arguing that freedom of expression has no compromis.

Sweden's foreign minister, Tobias Billstrom, said on Monday that he has sent letters to the 57 countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, explaining the right to assembly in Sweden and condemning Islamophobic acts.

The Organization for Islamic Cooperation has called an extraordinary meeting to discuss the latest developments regarding the burning of the Koran./ REL