After a succession of Koran burnings in the Scandinavian country infuriated Muslim nations, Denmark said on Friday that it would outlaw the practice.
The government will present a bill that will “prohibit the inappropriate treatment of objects of significant religious importance to a religious community,” Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard told reporters.
He said that public burnings and desecrations were the main targets of the legislation.
Koran burnings, according to Hummelgaard, are “fundamentally contemptuous and unsympathetic acts” that “harm Denmark and its interests.”
Chapter 12 of Denmark’s penal code, which deals with national security, would contain the new regulation.
National security, according to Hummelgaard, was the primary “motivation” behind the prohibition.
“We can’t continue to stand by with our arms crossed while several individuals do everything they can to provoke violent reactions,” he said.
The legislation will also apply to desecrations of the Bible, the Torah or, for example, a crucifix. Those who break the law risk a fine and two years in prison.
