Denmark: Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Mr. Lars Lokke Rasmussen, has said that the Danish government will try to find legal standards that will enable authorities to prevent the burning of copies of the Quran in front of other countries’ embassies in Denmark.
“The burnings are deeply offensive and reckless acts committed by few individuals. These few individuals do not represent the values the Danish society is built on,” Mr. Rasmussen stated.
“The Danish government will therefore explore the possibility of intervening in special situations where, for instance, other countries, cultures, and religions are being insulted, and where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark, not least with regard to security,” the Foreign Minister added.
In recent weeks, Denmark and Sweden have captured international attention due to protests in which the Quran, the Islamic holy book, has been subjected to damage or burning. The Swedish Prime Minister, Mr. Ulf Kristersson, noted in a separate statement that he had been in close contact with his Danish counterpart, Mr. Mette Frederiksen and that a similar process was already underway in Sweden.
During this month, far-right activists have staged multiple public burnings of Islam’s holy book in front of the Iraqi, Egyptian, and Turkish embassies in the capital city of Denmark. Earlier this month in Sweden, a 37-year-old Iraqi citizen named Salwan Momika, residing in the country, was involved in an incident where he stomped on the holy book and set several pages on fire.
The public burnings in the Scandinavian countries have triggered extensive outrage among Muslim nations. In response, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Morocco, Qatar, and Yemen have all lodged protests.
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