Iranian-Danish Artist Shreds Quran Outside Iran’s Embassy

Iranian-Danish artist Firoozeh Bazrafkan shredded a copy of the Quran outside the Iranian embassy in the Danish capital Copenhagen on August 5, 2023.
Iranian-Danish artist Firoozeh Bazrafkan shredded a copy of the Quran outside the Iranian embassy in the Danish capital Copenhagen on August 5, 2023.

An Iranian born artist shredded a copy of Islam’s holy book, the Quran outside the Iranian embassy in the Danish capital Copenhagen on Saturday.

Firoozeh Bazrafkan, who has staged similar symbolic performances several times in the past, said the deliberate shredding of the Quran was a commentary on the Iranian regime’s hypocritical demand for respect for the holy book while it fails to show any respect for women’s rights.

She dedicated her performance to Iran’s women and men who continue to defy the oppressive regime, and extended her tribute to citizens and politicians worldwide who support the Iranian people’s quest for a dignified life.

Bazrafkan has staged several performances against the Islamic Republic and its religious ideology. The artist and blogger is known for including nudity, shredded Qurans, blasphemy and Nazi hymns in her works.

In an installation art piece dubbed "Blasphemy?” showcased in a gallery in 2014, she ran a copy of the Quran through a shredder and placed it on a prayer mat. Later in that year, she released a video, in which she stripped naked and put her clothes over the Quran, while another artist, Kasper Norby Lund, recited texts from the book.

In recent weeks, copies of the Quran have been burnt on several occasions in Sweden and Denmark. The Iranian government has strongly condemned the desecrations and officials have threatened the perpetrators with severe punishment.