Police: Burning the Koran would not be allowed in Finland | News
Defaming a book held sacred by a religious community would probably violate the protection of religious peace in Finland.
According to the Police Board, the Finnish police do not allow the public burning of the Koran, as has recently happened in Sweden and Denmark. According to Finnish law, violating religious peace is a punishable act, the police board said in its announcement to STT.
It said on Monday that the public burning or other desecration of a book held sacred by a religious community would likely be hallmarks of this crime.
In recent weeks, the Danish far-right politician has been burning Korans at events in Stockholm and Copenhagen, including outside Turkish embassies. The police in these countries have allowed the events to proceed, saying that the actions have not broken any laws.
An Yle’s survey in 2021 stated that the majority of Finnish MPs did not want to change the Finnish law on the sanctity of religion, which includes the possibility of six months in prison for blasphemy.
However, some MPs are calling for changes to the law for the sake of freedom of speech.
The UN Human Rights Committee has called on Finland to change the criminal legislation because it restricts freedom of speech.
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