Denmark Bans Desecrating Copies of Holy Books

Deutsche Welle reports on today's actions:

The Danish parliament on Thursday approved legislation that would effectively prohibit Quran burnings in the northern European country.

The law criminalizes the "inappropriate treatment of writings with significant importance for a recognized religious community."

The bill was passed with 94 votes in favor by the 179-member Danish parliament, also known as the Folketing. Seventy-seven votes were cast against the legislation.

Burning, tearing, or defiling religious texts in public could land people with a fine or up to two years behind bars. Destroying a holy text on video and disseminating the footage online could also put offenders in jail….

"We must protect the security of Denmark and Danes," Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said. "That is why it is important that we now get better protection against the systemic descretations we have seen for a long time." …

"History will judge us harshly for this and with good reason," Inger Stojberg of the right-wing anti-immigration Denmark Democrats party said in response to the bill's passage. "What it all comes down to is whether a restriction on freedom of speech is determined by us, or whether it is dictated from the outside." …

"Does Iran change its legislation because Denmark feels offended by something an Iranian would do? Does Pakistan? Does Saudi Arabia?" Karina Lorentzen of the leftist Socialist People's Party said. "The answer is no." …

Thanks to the Media Law Resource Center (MLRC) MediaLawDaily for the pointer.