The rallying against the "Quran law" – "Koranloven," as the Danes have dubbed it – has continued to gather momentum. Since the government (made up of Social Democrats, Liberals, and Moderates), presented the bill to criminalize the defacing of religious symbols on September 1, 2023, there have been more and more initiatives to denounce a restrictive measure that would, in effect, reinstate the law banning blasphemy that was abolished in 2017.

Since Thursday, September 21, over 500 Danish artists and intellectuals – including writers, cartoonists, actors, directors, and journalists – have signed a petition demanding the withdrawal of the bill, which they see as "an attack on art, political expression and freedom of the press," as well as on "free and democratic society."

The bill seeks to prohibit "the improper treatment of objects of significant religious significance to a religious community." There is no doubt, however, that it is the public burning of the Quran that the government wants to prevent. Indeed, the bill refers to such acts, mentioning their "major consequences" for Denmark and "its interests," as well as its "security."

But while Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard had promised "surgical intervention," pledging to protect freedom of expression to the maximum, the content of the bill presented to Parliament is worrying. "We were expecting a hamster, and we got a polar bear," summarized judge Nina Palesa Bonde, referring to a break with the traditional conception of freedom of expression: "Normally, the law protects people, not religion, ideology or God himself." She was also alarmed to see that the law would apply to "artistic or political expression," which was "highly protected" until now.

Danish artists were hardly reassured by Hummelgaard's recent statements: He advised the Danish-Iranian artist Firoozeh Bazrafkan to "paint," "write" or "sculpt something in stone," rather than shred copies of the Quran in front of the Iranian embassy in Copenhagen, in protest against the mullahs' regime.

A reading of the bill reveals numerous ambiguities. We learn, for example, that "religious writings such as the Bible, the Quran, the Torah, and the Vedas [Brahmanic texts]" will henceforth be protected against "improper treatment," but not "garments such as headscarves, yarmulkes, and Sikh turbans, even if a religious significance can be attributed to them." "Drawings and figurines" are also excluded. But the "crucifix" and "mezuzah" are included, as are "imitations" of objects protected by law. For example, a book whose cover has been modified to make it look like the Quran cannot be abused.

You have 41.93% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.