Denmark: Anti-Islam Provocateur Desecrates Quran Despite Ban

IQNA – Danish-Swedish far-right figure Rasmus Paludan has desecrated a copy of the Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Denmark, defying a law that was passed last year to ban acts of desecration.

The desecration on Sunday also came as the local police had issued a ban on the provocative act and warned Paludan following the killing of Iraqi-born Salwan Momika, known for staging similar demonstrations in Sweden. 

Paludan, the leader of the far-right party Stram Kurs, posted a video of the Quran burning on X, branding it both a tribute to Momika and a protest against the Danish police's decision to prohibit him and his party from holding demonstrations.

The incident took place shortly after Danish authorities, including the intelligence agency PET, contacted Paludan in the wake of Momika’s killing in a Södertälje apartment on Thursday night.

Momika had gained notoriety for publicly burning Qurans, actions that sparked international condemnation.

Paludan’s latest provocation against Muslims comes as Denmark’s parliament passed a bill that makes it illegal to burn copies of the Quran in public places.

The bill, which prohibits “inappropriate treatment of writings with significant religious importance for a recognized religious community," was passed with 94 votes in favor and 77 opposed in the 179-seat Folketing in December 2024.

In practical terms, it will be forbidden to burn, tear, or otherwise defile holy texts publicly or in videos intended to be disseminated widely. Those who break the law risk a fine or up to two years in prison, according to the law.

Denmark and Sweden experienced a series of public protests in 2023 in which anti-Islam activists burned or otherwise damaged copies of the Quran, sparking tensions with Muslims and triggering demands that the governments ban the practice.

Source: Agencies