Danish ultranationalists continue to desecrate Quran, burning holy book for 3rd day in a row

By Muhammet Ikbal Arslan

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AA) – Members of the ultranationalist group known as Danske Patrioter (Danish Patriots) continued the desecration of Muslims' holy book, the Quran, for the third consecutive day on Wednesday in Denmark's capital Copenhagen, as they burned a copy of the Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy for the second day in a row.

Under the protection of local police, the members of the group chanted slogans against Islam in front of the embassy and unfurled anti-Islamic banners as well as ones calling for a boycott of Turkish products.

Despite worldwide condemnation, members of the Danske Patrioter burned a copy of the Holy Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy on Tuesday.

The members of the group chanted anti-Islamic slogans and live-streamed the extreme Islamophobic incident on social media.

They also claimed to have burned a book allegedly written by Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen at the same location.

Earlier on Monday, the same group in Copenhagen burned a copy of the holy book in front of the Saudi Embassy.

The group unfurled a banner insulting Islam and shouted Islamophobic slogans in broadcast live on social media.

They also trampled a copy of the Quran as police provided them security.

As 57 Muslim countries discuss how to stop the burning of the Quran in the West, "it seems we will have to burn the Quran even more," the group's social media account said, referring to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) online meeting held on Monday to discuss the recent attacks.

Separately on the same day, Salwan Momika, of Iraqi origin, burned another copy of the Quran in front of the Swedish Parliament and demanded that Islam be banned in the country.

Denmark said Monday that it noted the latest declaration by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) following a recent string of public desecrations of the Quran, saying it will continue close dialogue with the group’s member states.

“Denmark has condemned the recent Quran burnings and is exploring the possibility of intervening in special situations within Danish freedom of expression,” Rasmussen tweeted.

Recent months have seen repeated acts of Quran copy burning or desecration or attempts to do so by Islamophobic figures or groups, especially in northern European and Nordic countries.