A 42-year-old man who burned a Quran and posted a video of it on Facebook has been charged with blasphemy in Denmark...

A 42-year-old man who burned a Quran and posted a video of it on Facebook has been charged with blasphemy in Denmark, a striking decision by prosecutors in a country that is largely secular but has grappled with the role of Islam in public life.

The decision stunned many Danes: No one has been convicted of blasphemy in Denmark since 1946, and the country has a long tradition of free speech; burning the flag is not a punishable crime.


Simmering tensions between religious sensitivities and free speech have been a theme in Denmark since 2005, when the newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. The depictions outraged many Muslims, who consider such representations to be blasphemous.

The controversy led to deadly riots, attacks on Danish embassies in the Middle East and a trade boycott against Denmark. But Danish prosecutors at the time refused to charge the newspaper’s editors with blasphemy.


The blasphemy law has been invoked only a handful of times since its creation in 1866, most recently in 1971, when two people broadcast a song mocking Christianity and stirred a debate over female sexuality. They were acquitted.

No one has been convicted of the crime since 1946, when a man dressed himself up as a priest and mock-baptized a doll at a masquerade ball.

In the current case, the suspect, who was not identified by the authorities but called himself John Salvesen on Facebook, uploaded video footage of a Quran being burned in his backyard. In the 4-minute, 15-second clip, the clicking sounds of a lighter are heard before flames engulf the large leather-bound book.

nytimes.com/2017/02/23/world/europe/denmark-quran-burning.html?_r=1

The video was posted on Dec. 27, 2015, to a Facebook group called “Yes to Freedom — No to Islam.” Above the video, shared 415 times, were the words: “Consider your neighbor, it stinks when it burns.” One commenter wrote: “If I had the Quran I’d also burn it, that’s the only thing it’s good for. Gives a bit of heat.”

The man’s Facebook page was full of messages critical of Islam, refugees and women. In one post, he even wrote, “I hate children.”


The video did not get widespread attention at the time. The defendant — his true name is still not clear and under Danish law cannot be released unless he is convicted — was charged last year with hate speech, but the indictment was later changed to blasphemy, a decision prosecutors announced on Wednesday. A trial has been scheduled for June. If convicted, the defendant faces up to four months in prison or a fine.

His lawyer, Rasmus Paludan, argued that his client had burned the Quran in “self-defense.”

“The Quran contains passages on how Mohammed’s followers must kill the infidel, i.e. the Danes,” he said. “Therefore, it’s an act of self-defense to burn a book that in such a way incites war and violence.”


Mr. Paludan also noted that in 1997, a Danish artist burned a copy of the Bible on a news show by a state broadcaster but was not charged. “Considering that it is legal to burn a Bible in Denmark, I’m surprised then that it would be guilty to burn the Quran,” he said in a phone interview.

Oh, come on Denmark. This got a facepalm out of me.

serious question.

why burn their holy book? I can't see the purpose other than to outrage. and also lefties will reject it so he will not win anyone over with it. maybe someone will now that he is prosecuted but still I don't see the point of that action.

he should perhaps read the bible intstead if that is his thing.

>why burn their holy book?
Because he owned that book? Is it not his right to burn his own property?

He did nothing wrong. Its muzzies that can't stop getting triggered whenever someone exercises their goddamn rights.

>
Mr. Paludan also noted that in 1997, a Danish artist burned a copy of the Bible on a news show by a state broadcaster but was not charged

Secularism is only a one way street and it only applies to limiting the rights of Christians in the west.

It's a Jewish and Protestant invention.

I just don't see the point of it is all.

It is pointless to burn the book, sure. But its still his right to do it. That's the end of it.

Somebody post the pic of the dude burni g one on his grill and putting a shoe on it.

It's legal for shitskins burn Denmarks flag while living there you stupid fucking cuck, why the fuck should a dane be imprisoned for burning the fucking Quran.

I see no point in burning danish flags either. that is just the same "preaching to the choir". that is my point. why engage in pointless propaganda if you are going to engage in propaganda?

So what would've happened if he burned a Bible?
Nobel Prize?

Sweden Yes!

You're cucked beyond reason stupid swede kys

well I disagree.

>man burns someones holy book
>responds by burning flag

seems like a fair exchange desu, im not even a muslim.

I'm genuinely shocked at this, especially in Danemark. Disappointing.

Why are those Brown ''Swedish'' people so angry in that picture? I mean there are millions of other Qurans

Literally every native swede in the back. It must suck growing up being native swedish in sweden.

And that's fine. You shouldn't be prosecuted for stating your opinion just in the same way that you shouldn't be prosecuted for burning something that you own.

your illiterate

But diversity make them stronger

If the judge convicts him, you should disappear him.

I'm not making a law argument. just a propaganda one.

>your

good one my canadian friend.

What do you mean your argument is a propaganda one? Do you mean to say that burning the Quran is propaganda?

Either they get strong and fight back or go extinct, but it's only a matter of time before the next generation of youth decides to group together

Yes except those Whites were MURDERED by other Whites fighting for Communism and Liberalism.

I think the point is that they caused quite a bit of damage while the niggers just throw watermelons at people.

yes I mean that is a failed attempt at propaganda.

it is useless in any meaningful way because it has no perceivable positive outcome.

dude burned a holy book and just made his "enemies" angry and his supporters probably just didn't care.

that is the point. there is no benefit to this other than to make muslims angry and leftist cemented in their belief that his ilk are racist goons.

as I stated earlier he might get some positive reactions because of the prosecution but still people in general will think it was senseless. and I agree it was senseless and stupid.

if they dont let him go denmark are cucks maybe bigger than sweden

People do senseless meaningless things all the time, like posting on an anime image board, yet they shouldn't be thrown in jail just for doing or saying something that doesn't physically harm another human being.

To trigger Muslims and lefties
Seems like it worked to me

I'm not making a law argument as stated earlier.
yes he did and what were the gains from this? in my estimation they were exactly none thus rendering this a useless propaganda action.

do propaganda yes but do winning propaganda that changes minds. this is essentially media-whoring.

He was convicted and fined $140.

And it's a good thing.

The police and DA are the most redpilled people in this country. They know what shitskins are like - they see it firsthand. The reason they charged this guy was to create a shitstorm around a broken law. Now the media attention will give the parliament an excuse to change it.

>Cuckmark

FFS Sweden, are you shitting me? I actually like the progressive state of Sweden but reading your ignorance makes me think Sup Forums is right and you deserve to get fucked by those Muslims.
The point is that you HAVE rights. Think of Muslims like SJWs except that they will behead you if you disagree with their bullshit.

Let me ask you: if you can't force your beliefs down someone's throat, what gives Muslims in these foreign countries the right to do so to you?