Last month we reported on a Danish journalist who was chased out of the culturally enriched Copenhagen neighborhood of Nørrebro by Antifa activists, who threw bottles at him and screamed that he was a “Nazi”.
Fast forward to last week. As you may recall from the news feed, a man in Denmark became the first person charged under the country’s blasphemy law for burning a Koran and posting the video of it on Facebook. As it happens, the blasphemer’s lawyer is Rasmus Paladan, the very same man (who is both a lawyer and a journalist) who was chased out of Nørrebro in January.
Vlad Tepes interviewed Mr. Paladan a few days ago, just after he was engaged to defend the blasphemer who insulted Islam:
Below are excerpts from two articles about the blasphemy case. First, from Breitbart:
Man Charged With Blasphemy for Burning Quran in Denmark
A man who burned the Islamic holy book in his backyard has been charged with blasphemy, in a move his lawyer speculates was driven by fear of Muslim extremists. The attempted prosecution is the first of its kind in nearly 50 years.
The 42-year-old man from Jutland uploaded video footage of a Quran being lit on fire, which he posted to a Facebook group called ‘Yes to freedom — no to Islam’ in December last year.
“It is the prosecution’s view that circumstances involving the burning of holy books such as the Bible and the Quran can, in certain cases, be a violation of the blasphemy clause, which covers public scorn or mockery of religion,” said chief prosecutor Jan Reckendorff in a statement.
“It is our opinion that the circumstances of this case mean it should be prosecuted so the courts now have an opportunity to take a position on the matter.”
The defendant’s lawyer, Rasmus Paludan, said that his client had burned the Quran in self-defense, asserting that the Islamic holy book “contains passages on how Mohammed’s followers must kill the infidel, i.e. the Danes”.
“Therefore, it’s an act of self-defense to burn a book that in such a way incites war and violence,” he told the New York Times.
Noting that it’s “legal to burn a Bible in Denmark”, highlighting how in 1997 a Danish artist set fire to and burned a copy of the Bible on state television in Denmark but was not charged, Mr Paludan said he is “surprised that it would be guilty to burn the Quran.”
“The fear of Islam and Muslims may be far greater now, and the prosecution service may be a lot more apprehensive of Islam and its followers,” he added, speculating on the prosecutor’s decision to bring charges in this case.
And from The Local:
Danish Man Who Burned Quran Charged With Blasphemy
A man who filmed himself burning the Quran has become the first person to be charged under Denmark’s blasphemy law in 46 years.
The 42-year-old filmed himself burning a copy of Islam’s holy book in his back yard in December 2015. He then posted the video on the anti-Islamic Facebook group, “Yes to freedom — no to Islam” along with the words, “Consider your neighbour: it stinks when it burns.”
Danish prosecutor Jan Reckendorff announced his decision to bring charges in a press statement issued on Wednesday afternoon.
“It is the prosecution’s view that circumstances involving the burning of holy books such as the Bible and the Quran can in certain cases be a violation of the blasphemy clause, which covers public scorn or mockery of religion.”
This marks the fourth time in history anyone has been prosecuted under Denmark’s blasphemy clause: four people were sentenced for posting posters mocking Jewish teachings in 1938; two people were fined for carrying out a fake baptism at a masked ball in 1946; and two programme leaders at Danish Radio were exonerated in 1971 for airing a song mocking Christianity.
Hat tips for the articles: Fjordman and JD.
And what happens to Muslims who protest all over Europe carrying flags stating that they are coming to get us “infidels” and “behead those who insult Islam” as usual, nothing. Again, all a one-way street where the indigenous people are vilified.
You make a good point, Mary. Once you start down the road of censorship/propaganda control by any government, where does it end?
In the US cases can set a precedent. That is, could it in future times be used to stop the ‘criticism’ of a political party as well? Universities in my country now have ‘safe speech zones’ where you can’t demean certain groups-gays, Muslims etc.
Down with all forms of censorship!
And that should be one of the main points against any prosecutions enforcing only the Sharia law of blasphemy against Islam, which is really what this case represents. When the public is being attacked by the Muslim community every day then why wouldn’t anyone expect public scorn?
Did a double take on this:
” two people were fined for carrying out a fake baptism at a masked ball in 1946; and two programme leaders at Danish Radio were exonerated in 1971 for airing a song mocking Christianity.”