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TIMELINE: The July Quran burnings in Denmark

The latest series of Quran burnings in Denmark and Sweden have caused 57 Muslim countries to arrange an emergency meeting and the Danish government is now considering restricting the demonstrations for the first time. Here's a timeline of how the events have unfolded.

Published: 31 July 2023 09:47 CEST
TIMELINE: The July Quran burnings in Denmark
The group "Danske Patrioter" descrates the Quran in a demonstration in Copenhagen on July 29th. Photo: Thomas Sjørup/Ritzau Scanpix

What’s been happening?

Recent weeks have seen repeated burnings of the Quran in front of embassies in Stockholm and Copenhagen, provoking anger in Muslim majority countries.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: Why are demonstrators in Denmark burning the Quran again?

Wednesday July 19th: During the night, demonstrators stormed the Swedish embassy in Iraq, setting the building on fire and forcing security measures to protect the staff in the building. 

The protests were launched after police in Sweden granted permission to The Iraqi activist Salwan Momika to burn a copy of the Quran outside Iraq’s embassy in Stockholm. 

Thursday July 20th: Momika carried out his protest in Stockholm, kicking and stamping on a copy of the Quran, but not, in the end, burning it. 

Iraqi authorities condemned the burning of the embassy but expelled the Swedish ambassador, in retaliation of Sweden allowing a protest in which the Quran was desecrated.

Friday July 21st: Members of the Danish extreme right group Danske Patrioter posted a video on its Facebook page of a man burning what seemed to be a Quran and trampling an Iraqi flag.

Saturday July 22nd: Around 1,000 protestors marched towards the Danish embassy in Baghdad. These people were supporters of influential Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada Sadr, who has a following of millions in Iraq.  Iraqi security forces dispersed the protestors before they reached the Danish embassy.

It was Sadr’s supporters who had on Wednesday night set alight the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. 

Sunday July 23rd: Denmark’s Foreign Ministry released a statement in which is said Denmark “condemns the burning of the Quran.”

“It is a provocative act that hurts many people and creates division between different religions and cultures. Denmark has freedom of religion and many Danish citizens are Muslims. They are a valued part of the Danish population,” the foreign ministry said.

“Denmark underlines that freedom of expression and freedom of assembly must be respected,” it also said, adding “Denmark supports the right to protest but emphasises it must remain peaceful”.

Monday July 24th: A second video posted by the extreme right group Danske Patrioter, again of a man burning what seemed to be a Quran and trampling an Iraqi flag.

Iraq’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying it “strongly condemns, again, the repetition of the burning of a copy of the holy Quran in front of the Iraqi embassy in Denmark.”

Algeria meanwhile said it had summoned the Danish and Swedish envoys to condemn the recent desecrations of the Quran in Copenhagen and Stockholm. 

Tuesday July 25th: Danske Patrioter set fire to the Islamic holy book outside the Egyptian and Turkish embassies.

Meanwhile, Denmark’s ambassador to Iran summoned by Tehran in protest at the desecration of the Quran in Copenhagen, the Iranian foreign ministry said on Twitter. 

Thursday July 27th: Iran and Iraq set up an emergency meeting with all 57 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) over the Quran burnings in Denmark and Sweden. A spokesperson from the Iranian foreign ministry said the meeting will take place virtually on July 31st.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia summoned a Danish diplomat to protest the desecration of the Quran.

Sweden’s government ordered 15 government agencies to strengthen the country’s ability to prevent terrorism, with the Swedish PM saying he was “extremely worried”.

Sunday July 30th: 

The Danish government says it will explore legal means of stopping protests involving the burning of holy texts in certain circumstances, citing security concerns following backlash over the recent incidents.

Noting that such protests played into the hands of extremists, the government said it wants to “explore” intervening in situations where “other countries, cultures, and religions are being insulted, and where this could have significant negative consequences for Denmark, not least with regard to security,” it said in a statement from the foreign ministry.

“This must of course be done within the framework of the constitutionally protected freedom of expression and in a manner that does not change the fact
that freedom of expression in Denmark has very broad scope,” it added, stressing it is one of the country’s most important values.

Monday July 31st:

Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen speaks to the general secretary of the OIC, Hissein Brahim Taha, in a telephone call ahead of the meeting of the 57 Muslim member states.

The minister stated that his country’s government condemned the insult to the Holy Quran and that the government is investigating this issue with great interest, and stressed that his country is eager to maintain friendly relations and cooperation with the member states of the Islamic Cooperation Organisation,” the IOC said in a statement according to broadcaster DR.

Meanwhile, the government is scheduled to present its further details of how it envisages inteveningin the protests to the other parliamentary parties later on Monday.

Conservative parties have already raised concern about the potential move. Conservative Party leader Søren Pape Poulsen told DR “we are compromising on things that I’m concerned about where they’ll end”.

The protests have continued during the weekend with five burnings at embassies in Copenhagen. Seven more are planned on Monday according to DR.

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SOCIAL DEMOCRATS

EXPLAINED: How immigration speech has split Denmark’s Social Democrats

A speech about immigration and integration, given by a member of Denmark’s ruling Social Democrats in parliament, has caused an uproar among local party representatives but the party leadership, including Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, is sticking to its guns.

Published: 25 April 2024 17:03 CEST
EXPLAINED: How immigration speech has split Denmark’s Social Democrats

Internal dispute within Denmark’s Social Democrats has gained pace and drawn comments from Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, after one of the party’s MPs recently made a divisive speech in parliament.

Frederik Vad, who is the immigration spokesperson with the party, the senior partner in the coalition government, said earlier this month during a speech in parliament that Denmark’s immigration debate had to make an “admission”.

“That is an admission that work, education, a house, participation in associations and a clean criminal record are not enough on their own if you are also using your position to undermine Danish society from within,” Vad said.

“A parallel society is no longer a housing area in [underprivileged area] Ishøj. A could alos be a table at the canteen in a state agency or a pharmacy in [affluent] North Zealand,” he said, using the term used to refer to areas of the country subject to special integration laws.

To qualify as ‘parallel societies’, housing areas must have a population of more than 1,000 people, of which more than half are of “non-Western” origin, and must fulfil two of four criteria. For areas with fewer than 50 percent ‘non-Western’ populations, another term – ‘vulnerable area’ – is used instead.

The comments have received criticism from local Social Democratic politicians, initially more junior politicians such as town councillors and later gaining momentum with some city mayors speaking out against Vad, as reported by broadcaster DR.

“Frederik Vad is stigmatising a large part of the population that consists of well-educated, well-integrated and active citizens who contribute to Denmark every single day,” Musa Kekec, a Social Democratic member of the municipal council in Ballerup, told DR.

“We do not appreciate it. It is creating a new myth that integration has failed and that it’s no longer good enough to get an education, speak Danish, contribute to society and have a job – more is required,” he said.

Kekec is one of 18 elected local Social Democratic officials to have sent a letter to the party leadership earlier this week, objecting to Vad’s position.

“It’s important for us to show that we disagree with the rhetoric and suspicion being spread on the part of Frederik Vad,” Kekec said.

The internal conflict over the issue between parliamentary and local Social Democratic politicians is unusual in a party known for a culture in which all members loyally stick to the course set out by party leadership.

Merete Amdisen, the mayor of Ishøj – the municipality singled out by Vad in his comments – was the first mayor to publicly reject them, but several others have since added their voices to the dissent.

“I think you should think very carefully when you speak about people who go to work every single day, look after their children, integrate themselves in society and take part in our associations, in fact do everything we want them to, and who we also happen to need on our labour market,” Gladsaxe mayor Trine Græse told DR.

“I was actually offended – not personally, because I’m not in the target group. But when I heard what he said, I thought ‘that’s not a nice thing for him to say’,” she said.

“Christiansborg politicians should use their powerful voices with consideration and respect for others. Generalisations and pointing the finger at citizens with a different ethnic background as potentially dangerous are the wrong way to go,” the mayor of Furesø, Ole Bondo Christensen said.

In comments earlier this week, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said there was “full support” for Vad from the party leadership.

“There is an ongoing immigration debate within the Social Democrats and in Denmark, but the Social Democrats stand firm on the immigration policy that is currently being pursued in Denmark,” the PM told DR.

“I do not see any stigmatising comments from Frederik. I think he does a good job of pointing out that — of course — you cannot speak generally about everyone. On the contrary, many [immigrants] are doing very well. But those who, for example, commit crime, violence, or are members of [Islamist organisation] Hizb ut-Tahrir, are against our democracy. That is a lack of integration and we must then be able to discuss it,” she said.

Vad has not presented any data to support the claim that people of non-Western immigrant backgrounds with high levels of education and employment are involved in activities of the kind described by Frederiksen.

The junior Social Democratic MP defended his comments by saying they were not a deviation from the existing party line.

“That line is that we have a few problems in some pockets of our society with some people who are educated, have a job and a clean criminal record, yet bring some values ​​with them to work which are problematic,” he said to DR.

“It makes me sad if there are people in the party who think I said something wrong. Personally, I don’t think I have. I made a nuanced statement,” he said.

“People who make an effort, work their socks off, and integrate [into society] with their children should receive nothing but respect and equality,” he said.

“But the people who insist on bringing a culture of honour to work, or who don’t think you need to subscribe to women’s freedom and equality to be part of this society, should see nothing but a hammer falling,” he said.

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