(NL Times) Arnhem Mayor Ahmed Marcouch is calling on national lawmakers to ban the public desecration of religious and philosophical symbols and books, saying the restriction on free expression is necessary to preserve the democratic rule of law in the Netherlands. The ban should be implemented to prevent people from using such actions to deliberately provoke a violent response, he argued.
In a letter sent to Justice Minister Dilan Yesilgöz, Marcouch said that desecration of symbols and books people hold sacred should be considered a threat to national security because its intent is little more than to sow division and hatred. “I hope that you share the urgency and concerns with me and many Dutch people, and take your responsibility by imposing a ban on the demonstrative burning and destruction of religious and philosophical objects and symbols in public spaces,” he wrote.
