Denmark to criminalize mistreatment of objects of religious importance

COPENHAGEN. KAZINFORM The government of Denmark on Friday presented a draft bill that would criminalize the mistreatment of objects of significant importance to a religious community, Xinhua reports.

«For example, the bill intends to make it a criminal offense to publicly burn the Bible or the Quran,» the Ministry of Justice said in a press release.

The Danish government is currently under growing pressure as a result of a string of Quran burnings outside mosques and embassies in Copenhagen.

«The primary objective (of these actions) is to taunt and provoke reactions, which have impacted the overall threat situation and increased the threat of terrorism against Denmark, which is already at a high level,» the press release said.

«The Quran burnings have reached a level where large parts of the world consider Denmark a country that supports the denigration of other countries and religions,» Foreign Affairs Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen was quoted as saying in the press release.

Rasmussen said he expected the proposed model to put an end to «such insults and denigration.»

The standard four-week public consultation period for the bill is being shortened due to the risk of a rapidly changing situation, according to the press release.

The bill is scheduled to be introduced on Sept. 1 at Denmark's Parliament.