Denmark says it will continue close dialogue with Muslim countries over Quran burnings

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Denmark said Monday that it has 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," Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Twitter.

Releasing a statement following a session of its Council of Foreign Ministers on Monday, the OIC "strongly condemned" the recent Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark, expressing "deeply regret" that these incidents continue to be allowed by the authorities.

In a statement late Sunday, the Danish government said it "will therefore explore the possibility of intervening in special situations where, for instance, other countries, cultures and religions are being insulted, and where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark, not least with regard to security."

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

Despite wide-ranging condemnation and protests, attacks on the Quran continued on Monday in Denmark and Sweden.

In Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, members of the anti-Islam and ultra-nationalist group Danske Patrioter (Danish Patriots) burned a copy of the Muslim holy book in front of the Saudi embassy.

Meanwhile, Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi refugee living in Sweden, burned another copy of the Quran in front of the Swedish Parliament and demanded that Islam be banned in the country.