Denmark’s parliament adopts law banning Qur'an burnings

Members of the Danish Parliamant Folketinget attend the debate on a new law against inappropriate treatment of writings of importance to religious communities, in Copenhagen, Denmark, on December 7, 2023. (AFP)
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Updated 08 December 2023
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Denmark’s parliament adopts law banning Qur'an burnings

  • Over the summer, Denmark and neighboring Sweden became the focus of anger across several Muslim countries after a slew of protests involving burnings and desecrations of the Qur'an

COPENHAGEN: Denmark’s parliament on Thursday adopted a law criminalizing the “inappropriate treatment” of religious texts, effectively banning Qur'an burnings after a series of desecrations of Islam’s holy book sparked anger in Muslim countries over the summer.
The bill, which prohibits “inappropriate treatment of writings with significant religious importance for a recognized religious community,” was passed with 94 votes in favor and 77 opposed in the 179-seat Folketing.
“We must protect the security of Denmark and the Danes. Therefore, it is important that we now have better protection against the systematic insults we have seen for a long time,” Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said in a statement.
In practical terms, it will be forbidden to burn, tear or otherwise defile holy texts publicly or in videos intended to be disseminated widely.
Those who break the law, which will be evaluated after three years, risk a fine or up to two years in prison.
Over the summer, Denmark and neighboring Sweden became the focus of anger across several Muslim countries after a slew of protests involving burnings and desecrations of the Qur'an.
Nearly a thousand protesters attempted to march to the Danish embassy in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone in late July following a call by firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr.
In response to the worsened security situation, the Scandinavian country temporarily tightened border controls, but returned to normal on August 22.
Between July 21 and October 24 this year, 483 book burnings or flag burnings were recorded in Denmark, according to national police figures.

Initially announced at the end of August, the bill was amended following criticism that its first draft limited freedom of expression and would be difficult to enforce.
It was originally planned to cover objects of significant religious importance.
The first draft was also criticized by some — including politicians, artists, media and freedom of speech experts — as a return to a blasphemy law that Denmark abolished in 2017.
During a lengthy debate in parliament ahead of the vote, opposition lawmakers railed against the government, accusing it of sacrificing freedom of expression.
“It is a betrayal. A huge failure on the part of the government,” Inger Stojberg, leader of far-right Denmark Democrats, told parliament.
In 2006, a wave of anti-Danish anger and violence erupted in the Muslim world following the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.
“Imagine that we are becoming the generation that curtailed freedom of speech. I hadn’t actually thought this would be — and certainly not after the Muhammad crisis. Back then, we stood firm,” Stojberg said.
In neighboring Sweden, the government has condemned desecrations of the Qur'an at protests while upholding the country’s constitutionally protected freedom of speech and assembly laws.
It has vowed to explore legal means of stopping protests involving the burning of holy texts in certain circumstances.
Denmark is not the only European country to have banned burnings of the Qur'an.
According to Denmark’s justice ministry, eight European countries — Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland and Romania — do so to varying degrees.
In Greece, for example, the burning of a sacred text can be banned if the act takes place in or near a religious site.
 

 


Moderna pulls application for COVID-flu combination shot

Updated 56 min 6 sec ago
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Moderna pulls application for COVID-flu combination shot

  • The combination shot comprises a new COVID vaccine and an influenza vaccine
  • The company has previously said it does not expect a delay in the FDA’s decision

NEW YORK: Moderna said on Wednesday it has withdrawn an application seeking approval for its flu and COVID combination vaccine candidate to wait for efficacy data from a late-stage trial of its influenza shot, which is due later this year.

The company said it pulled the application in consultation with the US Food and Drug Administration. It is the latest sign of increased regulatory scrutiny of the vaccine approval process since Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the top US health job earlier this year.

Moderna’s decision comes a day after the US FDA said it would require new clinical trials for approval of annual COVID-19 boosters for healthy people under 65.

The combination shot comprises a new COVID vaccine and an influenza vaccine, both under development by Moderna.

The company has previously said it does not expect a delay in the FDA’s decision for the next-generation COVID vaccine, which is due by the end of the month.

Shares of the company have been battered by declining COVID revenue as well as investor concerns spurred by the appointment of Kennedy, who is a vaccine skeptic, as secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Moderna has been banking on revenue from newer mRNA shots to make up for falling sales of its COVID vaccine and less-than-expected uptake of its respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, which sent its shares down nearly 60 percent last year.

The company in early May pushed back the time frame for the likely approval of its combination vaccine — meant to protect adults aged 50 and above against both COVID-19 and influenza — to 2026.

The FDA last week approved rival Novavax’s COVID-19 vaccine more than a month after missing the deadline for the shot’s approval, and limited its use to people with conditions that put them at risk due to the illness.


Germany defends EU-Israel deal as ‘important forum’ for talks

Updated 21 May 2025
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Germany defends EU-Israel deal as ‘important forum’ for talks

  • EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said “a strong majority” of the 27 member states had backed the review
  • Kornelius reiterated Germany’s “great concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza“

BERLIN: Germany on Wednesday defended an EU-Israel cooperation deal, a day after the bloc had ordered a review of it in a bid to pressure Israel over the Gaza war.

Without explicitly confirming media reports that Berlin had opposed the review, foreign ministry spokesman Christian Wagner said that “the EU-Israel Association Agreement is an important forum that we must use in order to discuss critical questions” over the situation in Gaza.

The review announced on Tuesday comes as some European nations take a tougher line with Israel over the devastating impact of its offensive in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the territory.

EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said “a strong majority” of the 27 member states had backed the review.

Diplomats said 17 EU states pressed for the review under an article of the agreement that calls for a respect for human rights, with the Netherlands spearheading the latest push.

On Monday the leaders of Britain, France and Canada condemned Israel’s “egregious actions” in Gaza and warned of joint action if it did not halt its heightened military offensive there.

On Wednesday Stefan Kornelius, spokesman for Chancellor Friedrich Merz, reiterated Germany’s “great concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza” but stopped short of mentioning any possible further action.

Wagner also confirmed that on Tuesday nine German nationals had been evacuated from Gaza “in close co-ordination with the Israeli government,” together with three of their immediate family members.


Indian Navy inducts first vessel built in ancient shipbuilding style

Updated 21 May 2025
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Indian Navy inducts first vessel built in ancient shipbuilding style

  • Ship design is based on 5th-century artwork found in Ajanta Caves
  • The ship’s first transoceanic voyage is planned from Gujarat to Oman

New Delhi: The Indian Navy inducted on Wednesday its first vessel constructed using traditional shipbuilding techniques dating back to the 5th century.

The 21-meter wooden ship is a stitched ship, a type of boat that is carvel-built, with its planks stitched together using cords or ropes. The technique was popular in ancient India in constructing ocean-going vessels.

Named Kaundinya, the ship is a recreation of a vessel inspired by a painting from the Ajanta Caves — a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Maharashtra state, where ancient Buddhist rock-cut monuments feature exquisite murals dating from the 2nd century B.C.E. to the 5th century C.E.

“The whole concept was to kind of connect to our ancient methodology of how the construction takes place and also, subsequently, connect to the historical maritime routes which Indian seafarers took during that particular time,” Cdr. Vivek Madhwal, spokesperson of the Indian Navy, told Arab News.

Funded by the Ministry of Culture, the project was launched in July 2023 and constructed by artisans from Kerala, who were led by master Indian shipwright Babu Sankaran. The vessel was completed in February this year.

The INSV Kaundinya’s induction into the Indian Navy took place in the presence of Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat at the Naval Base Karwar in Karnataka, on the country’s western coast along the Arabian Sea.

The ship will sail its first transoceanic voyage from Gujarat to Oman.

“That is one of the routes which was used by the ancient seafarers,” Madhwal said, adding that new routes will be considered in the future, after the first journey.

The Indian Navy collaborated with the Department of Ocean Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras to conduct model testing of the vessel’s hydrodynamic behavior at sea. The navy has also tested the wooden mast system, which was constructed without the use of contemporary materials.

“Every aspect of the ship had to balance historical authenticity with seaworthiness, leading to design choices that were both innovative and true to the maritime traditions of ancient India,” the Indian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

“The combination of a stitched hull, square sails, wooden spars, and traditional steering mechanisms makes the vessel unlike any ship currently in naval service anywhere in the world.”


Saudi hospitality reaches Dhaka as immigration officers assist Hajj pilgrims

Updated 21 May 2025
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Saudi hospitality reaches Dhaka as immigration officers assist Hajj pilgrims

  • Saudi Arabia launched Makkah Route initiative for Bangladeshi pilgrims in 2019
  • About 87,000 Bangladeshis are expected to travel to Kingdom for Hajj this year

DHAKA: Bangladeshi pilgrims are enjoying the care and attention of dozens of Saudi officers who under the Makkah Route initiative are working around the clock at Dhaka’s main airport to ensure smooth immigration for Hajj.

About 87,000 Bangladeshi pilgrims are expected to perform the spiritual journey that is one of the five pillars of Islam. This year, the Hajj is expected to start on June 4 and end on June 9.

Most of the pilgrims are departing under the flagship pre-travel program, which the Kingdom launched in 2019 to help pilgrims meet all the visa, customs and health requirements at their airport of origin and save them long hours of waiting before and on arrival in the Kingdom. 

“It’s a very pleasant experience for the pilgrims as they receive the heartiest welcome by the Saudi immigration officials,” Lokman Hossain, director of the Hajj Office at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, told Arab News on Wednesday.   

“The immigration officials here serve the pilgrims very gently and always with a welcoming smile. It’s something that they can anticipate as the Kingdom’s hospitality for Hajj pilgrims … This is something extraordinary, and offers the pilgrims a comfort in their journey to the holy places.”

Bangladesh is among seven Muslim-majority countries — including Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Morocco, Turkiye and Cote d’Ivoire — where Saudi Arabia is operating its Makkah Route initiative.

“The moment pilgrims enter into the airport, their Saudi immigration formalities are taken care of by the immigration staffers stationed here temporarily by the Kingdom’s authorities,” Hossain said. 

“There is no need to wait in any queues. Saudi immigration officials are offering instant services to our pilgrims with more than a dozen service counters. Women immigration staffers are also deployed here, which brings ease for our women pilgrims also.” 

The moment they enter the Makkah Route facilities at the airport, the pilgrims are “treated like distinguished guests,” he added. 

“Sometimes, the pilgrims receive greetings in their local language too. It creates a sense of comfort in the pilgrims’ minds.” 

Special pilgrimage flights from Dhaka started in late April, as many pilgrims arrive early to make the most of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fulfill their religious duty. More than 51,400 Bangladeshi pilgrims have already traveled to the Kingdom as of Tuesday. 

“Makkah Route initiative is a very significant and helpful offer for our pilgrims,” Hossain said. “Our pilgrims are enjoying this facility.” 


Indian Navy inducts first vessel built in ancient shipbuilding style

Updated 21 May 2025
Follow

Indian Navy inducts first vessel built in ancient shipbuilding style

  • Ship design is based on 5th-century artwork found in Ajanta Caves
  • The ship’s first transoceanic voyage is planned from Gujarat to Oman

NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy inducted on Wednesday its first vessel constructed using traditional shipbuilding techniques dating back to the 5th century.

The 21-meter wooden ship is a stitched ship, a type of boat that is carvel-built, with its planks stitched together using cords or ropes. The technique was popular in ancient India in constructing ocean-going vessels.

Named Kaundinya, the ship is a recreation of a vessel inspired by a painting from the Ajanta Caves — a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Maharashtra state, where ancient Buddhist rock-cut monuments feature exquisite murals dating from the 2nd century B.C.E. to the 5th century C.E.

“The whole concept was to kind of connect to our ancient methodology of how the construction takes place and also, subsequently, connect to the historical maritime routes which Indian seafarers took during that particular time,” Cdr. Vivek Madhwal, spokesperson of the Indian Navy, told Arab News.

Funded by the Ministry of Culture, the project was launched in July 2023 and constructed by artisans from Kerala, who were led by master Indian shipwright Babu Sankaran. The vessel was completed in February this year.

The INSV Kaundinya’s induction into the Indian Navy took place in the presence of Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat at the Naval Base Karwar in Karnataka, on the country’s western coast along the Arabian Sea.

The ship will sail its first transoceanic voyage from Gujarat to Oman.

“That is one of the routes which was used by the ancient seafarers,” Madhwal said, adding that new routes will be considered in the future, after the first journey.

The Indian Navy collaborated with the Department of Ocean Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras to conduct model testing of the vessel’s hydrodynamic behavior at sea. The navy has also tested the wooden mast system, which was constructed without the use of contemporary materials.

“Every aspect of the ship had to balance historical authenticity with seaworthiness, leading to design choices that were both innovative and true to the maritime traditions of ancient India,” the Indian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

“The combination of a stitched hull, square sails, wooden spars, and traditional steering mechanisms makes the vessel unlike any ship currently in naval service anywhere in the world.”