Denmark’s parliament just passed a law that makes it illegal to desecrate any holy text in the country. This comes after a series of public burnings of the Quran by far-right groups in the country.

The new law is expected to be signed into law by the Queen later this month.

Violators could face fines or up to two years in prison.

The law is being hailed by Qatar and other Muslim countries as a step towards combating Islamophobia.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said, “We hope this will help to prevent hate crimes and promote peaceful coexistence.”

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Denmark has faced international criticism for allowing insults and denigration of religions. The new law is aimed at addressing this issue.

Statement | Qatar Welcomes the Danish Parliament’s Adoption of a Law Prohibiting Inadequate Treatment of Religious Texts#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/feRgthqra6

— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) December 8, 2023

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses Qatar’s appreciation for the Danish Parliament’s response to the calls to prevent the burning of the Holy Quran, At the same time, it looks forward to adopting similar legislations from the parliaments of countries which have witnessed the burning of copies of the Holy Quran,” a statement from Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday read.

This action is a reaction to several public desecrations of the Quran by far-right organisations, which have sparked widespread protests and widespread condemnation from Islamic nations.

In the wake of publicity stunts involving the burning of the Holy Quran, the Gulf nation pushed other nations to follow suit with similar legislation.

These far-right radicals have organised over 500 acts so far this year, including Quran burnings at Muslim embassies, houses of worship, and districts with a high immigrant population.

Denmark has continuously disassociated itself from these desecrations, citing the significance of free speech in Danish culture as grounds.

A newspaper published 12 caricatures of Prophet Muhammad in 2006; one of the cartoons showed the prophet as a bomb disguised as a turban, which sparked protests all around the world and put Denmark in the spotlight.