– I don’t like it when you burn books. And until quite a few years ago, you couldn’t do it with impunity in Denmark either. There are many different aspects in this, but the fact that we are in a new geopolitical reality obviously plays a role, says the Prime Minister to The weekend newspaper.
On Sunday, Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen (M) announced that the government will find a “legal tool” that can prevent the burning of religious scriptures.
Mette Frederiksen says that “books are meant to be read” and that you should therefore not burn them. But what the government is looking for is nothing “that should limit or curtail Danish freedom of expression”.
– It is not an expression to burn books and therefore it is also not a limitation of freedom of expression if it becomes illegal to burn religious writings, says Mette Frederiksen (S).
Can be isolated
The fact that Denmark and Sweden are the only countries that allow the burning of religious scriptures can have security consequences, Frederiksen believes.
– The risk of being isolated on the international stage is also problematic right now because Denmark puts a lot of effort into building partnerships and alliances, she says.
Most of the political opposition in the Norwegian Parliament is critical of a ban on Koran burnings in front of embassies and has protested the government’s plans in a joint statement.
“The veto of the perpetrators of violence must not prevail or determine which frameworks apply to Danish politics and Danish democracy,” write seven of the parties.
Support the government
However, the social liberal Alternativet party announced on Thursday that it supports the government’s ambition to find a legal solution to how Koran burnings can be prevented within the framework of freedom of expression.
“The alternative means that Koran burnings can be stopped in several cases by referring to existing legislation or by expanding, for example, the racism clause,” writes the party’s political leader Franciska Rosenkilde in a press release.