Banning desecration of Quran would not restrict freedom of expression: Danish premier

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – Banning the desecration of holy books such as the Quran would not restrict freedom of expression, Denmark’s prime minister said Thursday.

Mette Frederiksen made the remarks in an interview with the Danish weekly newspaper Weekendavisen following a series of attacks on Islam's holy book in her country.

Recent months have seen repeated Quran burnings, desecrations or attempts to do so by Islamophobic figures or groups, especially in northern European and Nordic countries.

Members of the ultranationalist group Danske Patrioter (Danish Patriots) continued Thursday to desecrate Islam’s holy book for a fourth day in Copenhagen.

The group has burned copies of the Quran in front of the Turkish, Iraqi, Egyptian, Saudi Arabian and Iranian embassies under police protection while chanting slogans against Islam and unfurling anti-Islamic banners.

Denmark will explore the possibility of intervening in situations where other countries, cultures and religions are demeaned to prevent negative consequences for its security, the Danish government said in a statement on Monday.

“Denmark has condemned the recent Quran burnings and is exploring the possibility of intervening in special situations within Danish freedom of expression,” Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said in a post on the X social media platform on Tuesday.