According to the Danish foreign minister, there have been five burnings on Sunday alone and that there will be more tomorrow. Turkey, on the other hand, is pressuring Sweden to prevent the burning of Korans.
The Danish government is trying to find a legal way to prevent the burning of Korans in front of embassies in Denmark, says the country’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen on the country’s public broadcaster DR. He says that on Sunday alone there have been five fires and that there will be more on Monday.
According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the country’s government plans to find out how, in special situations, the invasion of other countries that is in conflict with Denmark’s interests can be prohibited.
The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on Sunday in which it emphasizes the importance of freedom of expression, but says the burning of the Koran is deeply offensive and causes divisiveness. The statement also states that the government intends to explore opportunities to intervene in situations where other countries, cultures and religions are insulted and which may have significant negative consequences for Denmark, especially from a security perspective.
The ministry points out that in some cases the main purpose has been to offend and provoke reactions in other countries, which can have harmful effects for both Denmark and other countries.
The statement emphasizes that the country’s government has clearly condemned the burning of Korans and that the people who did the burning do not represent the values on which Danish society is built. According to the ministry, the action “plays in the bag of terrorists” and benefits countries that want to cause rifts between Western countries and the global south.
Rasmussen says he does not believe the plan will jeopardize freedom of expression.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also points out that freedom of expression is not perfect. For example, hate speech is prohibited in Denmark, and according to the foreign minister, burning a Koran in front of a foreign embassy or burning a Jewish Torah in front of an Israeli embassy is pure mockery.
Turkey wants Sweden to take “concrete steps”
The news agency Reuters reported earlier on Sunday that the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fida has called on Sweden to take “concrete steps” to stop the burning of Korans.
In its reporting, Reuters refers to a source from the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
According to Reuters, Fidan told Sweden’s foreign minister on the phone Tobias Billströmthat the continuation of “cheap actions” under the guise of freedom of speech is not acceptable.
The foreign ministers are also said to have discussed Sweden’s NATO application.
Sources: Reuters, Ritzau
The story was updated throughout on July 30 at 8:55 p.m.