Nordic governments seek to de-escalate tension as more Korans are burned

More Koran burnings took place in Sweden and Denmark today as the governments of the two Nordic countries said they were examining ways to legally limit such acts

More Koran burnings took place in Sweden and Denmark on July 31 as the governments of the two Nordic countries said they were examining ways to legally limit such acts in a bid to de-escalate growing tensions with several Muslim countries.

Denmark and Sweden have seen several protests in recent weeks where copies of the Koran have been burned, or otherwise damaged, prompting outrage in Muslim countries, which have demanded the Nordic governments put a stop to the burnings.

Also read | Organisation of Islamic Cooperation suspends Sweden's special envoy over desecration of Quran

The Danish government said on Sunday it would seek to find a "legal tool" that could enable authorities to intervene in such protests, if deemed to entail "significant negative consequences for Denmark, not least with regard to security".

"The fact that we are signalling both in Denmark and abroad that we are working on it will hopefully help de-escalate the problems we are facing," Rasmussen told journalists following a meeting with foreign policy speakers of parliament on Monday.

"It is not because we feel pressured to do so, but it is our political analysis that it is in the best interest of all of us," Rasmussen said, adding: "We shouldn't just sit and wait for this to explode."

Even so, Koran burnings took place in both countries on Monday. In Stockholm an Iraqi refugee behind several protests in recent weeks appeared to burn a copy of the Koran outside the Swedish parliament. In Denmark, anti-Muslim protesters burned the Koran outside the Saudi Arabian embassy in Copenhagen, with several more planned for later in the day.