Copenhagen (Reuters) – A small group of anti-Islam activists set fire to Korans in front of the Egyptian and Turkish embassies in Copenhagen on Tuesday after similar protests in Denmark and Sweden over recent weeks that have enraged Muslims.
Denmark and Sweden have said they deplore the burning of the Islam’s holy book but cannot prevent it under rules protecting free speech. Last week, protesters in Iraq set the Swedish embassy in Baghdad ablaze.
Tuesday’s demonstration in Copenhagen by a group called “Danish Patriots” followed Koran burnings the group staged on Monday and last week in front of the Iraqi embassy. Two such incidents have taken place in Sweden over the past month.
Turkey’s foreign ministry on Tuesday strongly condemned the “continuing attacks” on the Koran, adding that Danish authorities allowing these actions means they do not see the “severity” of the results they can have. Turkey on Monday called on Denmark to take necessary measures to prevent this “hate crime” against Islam.
Bahrain summoned Sweden’s chargé d’affaires and handed her a formal protest letter against allowing the burning of the Koran in Stockholm, the state news agency said on Tuesday citing the foreign ministry.
Iraq’s foreign ministry on Monday called on authorities of EU countries to “quickly reconsider so-called freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate” in light of the Koran burnings.
The Egyptian foreign ministry on Tuesday summoned Sweden’s charge d’affaires to condemn the desecration of the Korans.
Denmark has condemned the burnings as “provocative and shameful acts” but says it does not have the power to block non-violent demonstrators.
Danish foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Tuesday he had “had a constructive phone call” with Iraqi foreign minister Fuad Husseein on their countries’ relations and the Koran burnings.
“Repeated DK’s condemnation of these shameful acts carried out by few individuals. Emphasized that all protests must remain peaceful,” he wrote on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter.
“People benefit from an extended freedom of speech when they demonstrate,” University of Copenhagen law Professor Trine Baumbach said of Danish laws. “It does not just include verbal expression. People can express themselves in various ways, such as through the burning of items.”
