Denmark and Sweden considering banning Quran burning

Denmark has announced it is considering banning protests involving burning the Quran or other religious texts, citing security and diplomatic concerns.

The foreign ministry said that the protests benefit extremists and pose a security threat. In a statement, the ministry said that it wanted to consider "intervening in some protests where "other countries, cultures, and religions are being insulted, and where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark".

The country is looking at legal means to intervene in some circumstances, including protests outside embassies.

The prime minister of Sweden said that similar work was underway in Sweden. Ulf Kristersson said: "We have also started to analyse the legal situation already... in order to consider measures to strengthen our national security and the security of Swedes in Sweden and around the world."

The news comes after both countries have seen incidents where the Quran was burnt by far-right activists. The events led to protests and unrest in Muslim countries. Sweden's embassy in Baghdad was set on fire by protesters and staff had to be evacuated.

Image: Søren Sigfusson/norden.org, CC BY 2.5 DK <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/dk/deed.en>, via Wikimedia Commons