UPDATE: DENMARK'S PARLIAMENT ADOPTS LAW BANNING QUR'AN BURNINGS

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A bill criminalising the “inappropriate treatment” of religious literature was enacted by the Danish parliament on Thursday. This practically outlaws the burning of the Koran, after a number of desecrations of the holy book of Islam caused indignation in Muslim countries during the summer.

With 94 votes in favour and 77 against in the 179-seat Folketing, the bill—which forbids the “inappropriate treatment of literature with major religious relevance for a recognised religious community”—was passed.

“We must protect the security of Denmark and the Danes. Therefore, it is important that we now have better protection against the systematic insults we have seen for a long time,” Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said in a statement.

Practically speaking, it will be illegal to openly burn, rip, or in any other way defile holy writings or recordings meant for widespread distribution.

Infractions are subject to review after three years and might result in fines or perhaps two years in jail.

Following a wave of protests that included burnings and desecrations of the Koran, Denmark and nearby Sweden were the target of resentment throughout various Muslim nations during the summer.

Following a call by fiery preacher Moqtada Sadr, around a thousand protestors attempted to march to the Danish embassy in Baghdad’s guarded Green Zone in late July.

The Scandinavian nation momentarily tightened border controls in reaction to the deteriorating security situation; nevertheless, on August 22, things resumed as usual.

According to national police records, 483 book burnings or flag burnings were reported in Denmark between July 21 and October 24 of this year.

Initially unveiled at the end of August, the measure was changed in response to complaints that its initial version restricted free speech and would be challenging to implement.

Initially, it was intended to include items of great religious significance.

Politicians, artists, the media, and experts on free speech all attacked the first draft for being a reversion to blasphemy legislation that Denmark had repealed in 2017.

Before the vote, opposition MPs attacked the administration in a protracted debate in parliament, accusing it of undermining free speech.

“It is a betrayal. A huge failure on the part of the government,” Inger Stojberg, leader of far-right Denmark Democrats, told parliament.

In 2006, a wave of anti-Danish anger and violence erupted in the Muslim world following the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed.

“Imagine that we are becoming the generation that curtailed freedom of speech. I hadn’t actually thought this would be — and certainly not after the Muhammad crisis. Back then, we stood firm,” Stojberg said.

The government of nearby Sweden has upheld the nation’s constitutionally protected freedoms of assembly and speech while denouncing desecrations of the Koran during protests.

In certain situations, it has promised to look into using the legal system to put an end to protests, including the burning of sacred texts.

Not just Denmark, but several other European nations, have outlawed the burning of the Qur’an.

Eight European nations—Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania—all do so to varied degrees, according to the justice ministry of Denmark.

For instance, burning sacred texts within or close to a place of worship is prohibited in Greece.