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Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen on Sunday said that the government will seek to ban desecration of Quran and other religious books in front of foreign embassies in the nation.
The Danish government on Sunday issued a statement where it said that the recent case of Quran desecration has created a perception of the nation as one that “facilitates insult and denigration of the cultures, religions, and traditions of other countries.”
While asserting the importance of freedom of expression in the Danish society, the government strongly condemned the incident saying that the “deeply offensive and reckless” acts “do not represent the values the Danish society is built on.”
Before the government’s statement, Rasmussen said in an interview with Danish media that such activities of burning of religious books creates division “in a world that needs unity”.
“That is why we have decided in the government that we will look at how, in very special situations, we can put an end to mockery of other countries, which is in direct conflict with Danish interests and the safety of the Danes,” he said.
The foreign minister also acknowledged that the Danish government’s task to prohibit such acts without compromising freedom of expression would not be easy.
What is the Quran row about?
A series of incidents involving the desecration of the Quran in Sweden and Denmark have triggered outrage and protests among Muslim countries.
According to local media reports, a group called “Danish Patriots” burned the Quran outside the Iraqi embassy in Copenhagen. The two anti-Islam protesters stamped on the holy book and set it alight in a tin foil tray next to an Iraqi flag on the ground.
This follows two instances of Quran desecration in Sweden, which has led to criticism of the Swedish government from Muslim countries to allow such acts.
The Quran is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organised into 114 chapters, which consist of verses.
(with AP inputs)
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