Arnhem Mayor wants to argue for a ban on Quran desecration

Arnhem Mayor Ahmed Marcouch plans to firmly press national politicians for a national ban on Quran burnings. He thinks such a burning is “a poisonous act that leads to others being provoked,” he said on Wednesday during a City Council debate.

He was speaking about the attempt by Pegida leader Edwin Wagensveld to burn a Quran on January 13 in Arnhem, a protest which got out of control. Marcouch warned on Wednesday evening against “toxic polarization” and said he advocates more respect for each other’s opinions and views.

According to Marcouch, partly in view of national security, “a limit may have been reached with the burning of holy books.” He was in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before and after the action in Arnhem. “These events do not only have consequences in Arnhem. Diplomats and Dutch people abroad can expect strong reactions,” said the Arnhem mayor. “It would be nice if the law offered us the opportunity to never see this Pegida man as a Quran burner in Arnhem.”

The Council debate was requested by the local Denk faction. They wanted to know why Marcouch did not ban the Quran burning in advance and whether he considered it a failure, as the proposed burning resulted in violence from counter-protesters. Marcouch said he regrets the course of events on January 13, but is faced with more complex considerations, he said.

“The right to demonstrate is a fundamental right and I protect it. I find what Pegida wanted reprehensible and atrocious, but the fundamental right stands, even if I don’t like it.”

The police are still evaluating whether enough officers were deployed. The problem was that at the very last moment there were large-scale calls for a counter-demonstration, especially among Muslims, during demonstrations in Nijmegen and Apeldoorn. Nijmegen is just 20 kilometeres away from Arnhem, and Apeldoorn is about 30 kilometers away by car.

Marcouch announced on Wednesday that he will not stand in the way of stunts by Pegida and others in the future as long as the law remains the same. Pegida informed the municipality on Wednesday that it wants to organize another Quran burning in Arnhem at the end of March. The Arnhem City Council on Wednesday called the desecration and burning of religious books and objects reprehensible, and an attack on social cohesion.