A small group of far-right protesters belonging to a Danish far-right, ultra-nationalist group called Danish Patriots staged an anti-Islam demonstration in Copenhagen, Denmark. During the demonstration, they set fire to copies of the Quran, Islam’s holy book, in front of the Egyptian and Turkish embassies.
This incident followed previous Quran burnings organized by the same group in front of the Iraqi embassy on Monday and last week. The actions have sparked outrage and condemnation from various communities worldwide due to the disrespect shown towards the Quran and the religion of Islam.
In the past month, two similar incidents of Quran burnings have occurred in neighboring Sweden.
Iraq’s foreign ministry urged EU countries to reconsider “so-called freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate” in response to the Quran burnings.
Turkey strongly condemned the Quran burning as a “despicable attack” and called on Denmark to take necessary measures to prevent such a “hate crime” against Islam.
The Egyptian foreign ministry summoned Sweden’s charge d’affaires to condemn the desecration of the Qurans.
The government of Denmark condemned the burnings as “provocative and shameful acts” but stated that it lacks the power to prevent non-violent demonstrations.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen had a constructive phone call with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, discussing bilateral relations and the Quran burnings. Rasmussen reiterated Denmark’s condemnation of the acts and emphasized the importance of peaceful protests.
University of Copenhagen law Professor Trine Baumbach explained that Danish laws provide extended freedom of speech for demonstrators.
He stated, “Freedom of expression extends beyond verbal communication; individuals can express themselves using diverse methods, including the symbolic act of burning items.”
