Danish Court Fines Far-Right Leaders for Desecrating Holy Qur’an

A Danish court has fined two anti-Islam figures, including Rasmus Paludan, leader of the far-right Stram Kurs party, for desecrating the Quran during a live broadcast—a violation of a recently enacted law protecting religious texts.

Both men were found guilty of “inappropriate treatment of a religious text” and ordered to pay 10,000 kroner (approximately $1,500) each. The ruling is based on a December 2023 law passed in response to widespread international condemnation over repeated incidents of Quran burnings in Denmark and Sweden.

According to the court, one of the men, born in 1988, was seen tearing pages from an English version of the Quran and dropping them into a puddle during a live stream on Stram Kurs’ Facebook page. Paludan was identified as the second individual involved, and the court confirmed that the two “acted together” in carrying out the act.

Paludan has stated his intention to appeal the verdict.

The 2023 legislation prohibits public burning, tearing, or desecration of religious texts, aiming to curb provocations that risk inflaming religious and international tensions.