Swedish PM Rules Out Ban on Burning of Religious Texts After Denmark's Move

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - On Friday, Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said that the government intended to ban the burning of religious books in the country. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, in turn, said that the move was an important political signal that Denmark wanted to send to the world.

Sweden has no plans to ban the burning of religious texts, as Denmark seeks to do, because it would require amending the kingdom's constitution, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has said.

"Every country that is exposed to acute threats chooses its own way of dealing with them. I have a lot of respect for what Denmark is doing right now [initiatives to ban religious book burning]. To do exactly the same as in Denmark would probably require a constitutional amendment, so it is not the right way for Sweden to go about it," Kristersson said.

On August 18, the Swedish authorities said they would review the public order law that permits Quran-burning protests in the country. Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said that a public gathering could be banned if public order or safety were endangered.

Several Quran-burning demonstrations have taken place in Sweden as well as Denmark in recent months. Most Muslim countries have condemned the demonstrations, and some have summoned the Swedish and Danish ambassadors to give them notes of protest. Last month, hundreds of Iraqi protesters stormed the Swedish embassy after a burning of the Quran in Stockholm.