Quran burning incident sparks outrage in Copenhagen

Once again, the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, witnessed provocative actions. Provocateurs burned the Quran in front of the embassies in the city.

Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen informed foreign affairs rapporteurs about the incident.

While the efforts to ban the burning of the Quran continue within the government, a scandalous news came from the country's press.

The newspaper Politiken, published in Denmark, opposed the possible ban, saying, "Burning the Quran should not be banned." With the headline "We distance ourselves, we oppose, we will be cursed, but we do not impose a ban," Politiken stated, "The images of burning the Quran are nothing but repulsive. The fact that a small group in Denmark and Sweden see it as their duty to turn the sacred books of Muslims into ashes is both insane and embarrassing."

The newspaper emphasized that the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs had announced that such actions denigrating other countries, cultures, and religions could cause serious diplomatic and security problems for Denmark, and ways to prevent them would be sought by the government, but how this would be done remains uncertain.

In another news piece, Politiken featured the views of Hans Jørgen Bonnichsen, a former chief of the police intelligence unit.

Bonnichsen argued that a simple change in the vandalism law without compromising freedom of expression could prevent people from harassing sacred books. Dagbladet Information also pointed out that there was not enough support for the proposed change.

The news said, "Legislative intervention to prevent the burning of the Quran may result in approval with a narrow majority." It continued, "So far, parties from both the right and left have strongly rejected passing a law to prevent the Quran burning incidents that occurred in front of the embassies in Denmark this summer. This is the current situation. And now, some parties are warning the government not to pass such a principled law without broad political support."

Berlingske said, "No one changed their position in the government's Quran crisis meeting." Jyllands-Posten reminded of the 2005 cartoon scandal and the time when Rasmussen did not meet with representatives of Muslim countries.

In the news, it was mentioned that former diplomat Torben Gettermann described Denmark's approach as reasonable. Dagbladet Børsen presented the headline "Løkke, who wants to prevent the burning of the Quran: This is not to surrender."

The news stated, "While investigating the possibility of a 'legal tool' to prevent the burning of the Quran, Lars Løkke Rasmussen says that it is essential not to resort to violence."