Copenhagen wants to play it safe. The Danish government announced on Sunday (July 30th) that it wanted to limit possible new demonstrations involving desecration of the Koran, which have inflamed tensions with the Muslim world, highlighting the security problems they involve.

Several recent demonstrations in Sweden or Denmark involving burning or other desecration of the Muslim holy book have raised diplomatic tensions between the two Scandinavian countries and several Arab countries.

Stressing that such demonstrations played into the hands of extremists and were divisive, the Danish government intends to "explore" the possibility of intervening in situations "where, for example, other countries, cultures and religions are insulted, and which can have significant negative consequences for Denmark, especially in terms of security," the Foreign Ministry wrote in a statement.

"This must of course be done within the framework of constitutionally protected freedom of expression," he added, stressing that this is one of Denmark's most important values.

'Significant consequences'

The Danish Foreign Ministry notes that the protests have "reached a level where Denmark, in many parts of the world, is perceived as a country that facilitates insulting and denigrating the cultures, religions and traditions of other countries."

According to him, the "main purpose" of some of these protests is to provoke and "could have significant consequences".

At the end of July, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iran summoned representatives of Swedish diplomatic missions in their countries. Algeria also convened the representatives of Denmark.

In a separate statement, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Sunday that he had been in close contact with his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen, recalling that a similar process was already underway in Sweden.

"We have also started to analyse the legal situation in order to consider measures to strengthen our national security and the safety of Swedes in Sweden and around the world," Kristersson said on Instagram.

Sweden on Thursday ordered its armies and administrations to step up their preparations against terrorism amid deteriorating security, after several episodes in which the Koran was desecrated.

Diplomatic tensions between Stockholm and Baghdad

In late June, Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi refugee in Sweden, set fire to pages of the Koran outside Stockholm's main mosque.

Last week, he again trampled and tore apart a copy of the book in front of the Iraqi embassy to mark his opposition to his precepts.

In response to the Swedish police's permission for the event, hundreds of Iraqis invaded and set fire to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad.

The Swedish ambassador was expelled from Iraq and Iran has indicated that it will not accept a new ambassador from the Scandinavian country on its territory.

At the end of July in Denmark, it was the far-right movement Danske Patrioter that posted a video of a man desecrating and burning what appears to be a Koran and trampling on an Iraqi flag.

After a first similar initiative a few days earlier, nearly a thousand demonstrators had gathered at night in Baghdad. They had tried to march towards the Danish embassy, but Iraqi police had dispersed them, using batons and tear gas.

Saudi Arabia and Iraq have called for an extraordinary meeting, to be held on Monday, of the Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address the desecration of the Koran in the two Scandinavian countries.

With AFP

The summary of the weekFrance 24 invites you to look back on the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news with you everywhere! Download the France 24 app