This is sad and unfortunate - by passing this law Denmark just announced to the world that threats of violence are a valid and effective strategy, ans that they do in fact negotiate with terrorists...
This is just wrong. Why is it allowed to burn other books but not religious books? Denmark is a secular state. Bowing to the religious ideas of people is a step in the wrong direction. People should care less for religions and be less religious. There are no "holy books" or holy anything.
Denmark's parliament has banned the "inappropriate treatment" of religious texts - with a bill widely known in the country as the Quran law.
Denmark and neighbouring Sweden have recently seen a number of street protests over such incidents, raising security concerns in Scandinavia.
During Thursday's heated debates in Denmark's 179-strong parliament, the Folketing, many opposition MPs argued against the bill.
"History will judge us harshly for this, and with good reason... What it all comes down to is whether a restriction on freedom of speech is determined by us, or whether it is dictated from the outside," Inger Stojberg, leader of the Denmark Democrats, was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency.
But the country's centre-right coalition government of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen argued that criticising religion would remain legal, as the bill would only have a marginal impact.
Back in August, when the government was proposing the changes, ministers said they wanted to send a signal to the world after witnessing over a few weeks 170 demonstrations, including Quran burnings in front of foreign embassies.
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I am against the burning of books disguised as freedom of speech.
It is bad for the environment. Too much co2 production in the process. If you must destroy books, recycle them!
The Nazis did this very popularly. I always get reminded of that, when people burn books.
I feel it is a very marginal impact into freedom of speech. I can not remember a single occasion where I had to burn a book to be able to articulate my thoughts.
I think most countries ban burning houses, even if it is infringing the freedom of speech. Why should it be different with books?
But it's just religious books. You can burn Darwin's "The Origin of Species" or Kant's "Was ist Aufklärung". But you aren't allowed to burn a bible or the koran?
It is bad for the environment. Too much co2 production in the process. If you must destroy books, recycle them!
The CO2 produced by this is extremely marginal. Some single occasions of this won't have significant impact. Despite that: books tend to rot after a while, thereby releasing the stored CO2 anyway.
The Nazis did this very popularly. I always get reminded of that, when people burn books.
The Christians also burned books on multiple occasions. As did the communist revolution under Mao Zedong and a bunch of other lunatics throughout history.
If we should agree that burning books (as a form of protest) is a bad thing, then include all books and not just some religious ones.
I agree with your third point. However, it's a very visual and "spectacular" (meaning it draws attention) way of protest.
I think most countries ban burning houses, even if it is infringing the freedom of speech. Why should it be different with books?
Burning houses does significantly more damage and poses high risks of further collateral damage than burning a book. Moreover, houses usually don't carry and spread ideologic views.
Houses are not a medium to spread information. A book is , it means something so it is speech. Just like burning the US flag is allow because the first amendment allow us to judge and say fuck to our government.
in the US it is allowed. In many countries it is not alloeed to burn flags in public.
But in the US it also counts as free speech to bribe politicians and disrupt funerals for gay soldiers KIA so i am not sure the US has the best approach to free speech.