SEAToday.com, Denmark - The Danish parliament passed a law on Thursday (12/7) that makes it illegal to desecrate any holy text in the country, with a 94-77 vote.

The decision comes after a series of Quran burnings by a handful of anti-Islam activists that caused uproar and demonstrations in multiple Muslim countries. With this new law, offenders now face a fine or up to two years of jail time.

The Scandinavian nations have been viewed abroad as places that facilitate insults and denigrations of religions and cultures. Denmark and its neighboring country, Sweden, have recently seen a number of incidents in street protests, raising security concerns in the region.

“We must protect the security of Denmark and Danes,” Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said in a statement. “That is why it is important that we now get better protection against the systematic desecrations we have seen for a long time.”

Way to go, Denmark!