Q&A: Denmark and its anti-Muslim crackdown

The Times Online ^ | Februari 18 2004

[knighthawk]

Denmark has announced new immigration laws that will make it more difficult for Muslim clerics and other religious leaders to enter the country. Anthony Browne, Europe Correspondent, left, reports.

What is the Danish Government proposing?

The Liberal-Conservative Government has proposed tightening Denmark's immigration laws to make it more difficult for imams, Muslim clerics, to emigrate there.

The measures were first proposed by the Danish People's Party (DPP), the far-right political party, and while they cover all religious leaders, were drafted with the imams in mind.

The proposals are likely to be passed into law relatively quickly, because they have cross-party support. They will mean that anyone arriving in Denmark with a religious visa will have to prove that they are educated, financially self-sufficient and have connections to an established group in Denmark.

A religious leader would also need to demonstrate that he or she is a "worthy" applicant, although as yet it is unclear exactly what that means.

Why does Denmark think this is necessary?

The Government wants the immigrant population, and particularly its Muslims, to integrate with the rest of Danish society. It wants to stop the growth of a parallel Muslim community, led by imams who preach the rejection of Western and Danish values to Muslim youth. Out of the 200 immigrants who come to Denmark on religious visas each year, 50 or so are Muslims.

A second reason relates to terrorism, which could be encouraged by the virulent anti-Western rhetoric that some imams use when preaching to their congregations. One example quoted in the Danish media is of an imam who had been openly praising Osama bin Laden during his Friday sermons.

The Government has tried before to stop this. It attempted and failed to ban Hizb ut-Tahir, a radical Islamic group whose aims include converting the world to Sharia (Islamic law). The group has some notoriety in Denmark, although it does not advocate violence.

Why is integration so important to the Danes?

Denmark is a remarkably homogenous society, a fact that Danes view with some pride. There is very little income or class differential within the population, which has encouraged its reputation as a liberal welfare state.

Yet some neighbourhoods in Copenhagen are 97 per cent immigrant, much higher than many other urban areas across Europe. Many national newspapers have described these areas as ticking time bombs, which threaten broader society.

These fears have been played upon by the Danish People's Party (DPP), which is similar to the anti-immigrant party in the Netherlands once led by the murdered politician Pim Fortuyn.

The Government's response, of which the immigration measures form a part, is to protect the country's homogenous culture and discourage multiculturalism by demanding that immigrants adhere to Danish values. Many people in Denmark support this policy and, like the Netherlands, have seen the political debate surrounding immigration lurch to the right in recent years.

The consensus in Denmark over this issue contrasts with countries like France and Britain, where the debate about integration is much more polarised.

What other anti-immigrant laws has Denmark introduced?

The Government plans to double the fine for those who hide rejected asylum seekers from 2,500Kr (£225) to 5,000Kr (£450). Repeat offenders could also be imprisoned.

The most contentious law relates to bringing over married partners from foreign countries. The rules state that the partner must be over 24 years old, must not use benefits and must have a connection to Denmark other than through their partner.

In practice this means that a Danish national, married to a Palestinian woman who speaks Arabic, would not be able to bring his wife into the country because she has no Danish connection other than being married to a Dane. A similar policy is also in place in the Netherlands.

The Danish Government has said that this type of marriage could also stop immigrants from integrating properly by allowing people to come to the country who otherwise would have no connection to the place. The Government thought this problem significant because around 70 per cent of Islamic marriages involve bringing over a foreign partner.

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Denmark to get tough on Muslim clerics BY AFP IN COPENHAGEN AND RICHARD COLWILL

Denmark has introduced new immigration laws that will make it more difficult for Muslim clerics and other religious leaders to enter the country.

The new rules are designed in part to deter Islamic clerics from establishing Islamic communities in Denmark and instead encourage Muslims to integrate into the broader society. The rules however, would apply to any religious group.

Denmark's 170,000 Muslims account for about 3 per cent of the population and are the second largest religious group after the Lutheran Protestant Church, which is followed by four-fifths of the country's population of 5.3 million.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Danish Prime Minister, said yesterday: "Access to obtaining a Danish residence permit for foreign missionaries has been too easy up until now.

"That is why we now put forward new requirements for residing in the country, like the demand that imams and others have an education and that they be financially self-sufficient."

The proposed changes, which parliament is expected to quickly pass into law, are part of a deal reached in September between the Liberal-Conservative government, the Danish People's Party (DPP), its far-right ally, and the opposition Social Democrats.

Once passed into law, the immigration rules would demand that any person coming to Denmark on a religious visa would have to demonstrate that they were a "worthy" candidate to stay, were educated, financially self-supporting and connected with an established group already in the country.

The DPP, which first proposed the new rules, confirmed they were aimed to curb the activities of Muslim clerics, or imams.

Peter Skaarup, a spokesman for the DPP, said: "In theory, these rules concern all clerics from all religions. But in practice, they target the imams."

The Government also said yesterday that it intended to strengthen the measures that can be taken against people who help to hide rejected asylum seekers in order to prevent them being expelled from the country.

Mr Rasmussen said: "The fines inflicted on those who break the law by hiding refugees have been insufficient. We therefore propose more severe sanctions against the offenders."

The proposed changes to the immigration laws could also affect refugees who have been given asylum in Denmark, because they would risk losing their residence permits if they decide to return to their home countries for a holiday or to visit relatives.

The Government has also proposed a ten-year "quarantine period" for refugees convicted of domestic violence against a former wife or girlfriend, before they can bring their current spouse to Denmark as part of the country's family reunification programme.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1-1006054,00.html

[knighthawk]

The Government wants the immigrant population, and particularly its Muslims, to integrate with the rest of Danish society. It wants to stop the growth of a parallel Muslim community, led by imams who preach the rejection of Western and Danish values to Muslim youth.

Islam-list

If people want on or off this list, please let me know.

[pepsionice]

I have spent two summer vacations in Denmark over the past 3 years...and seen the country first-hand. Most people outside of Copenhagen are conservitive and anti-Muslim. While the country may generally vote liberal...if you took out Copenhagen, then it'd be a totally different story. And I rarely saw any Muslims outside of Copenhagen. The public is generally wary of their intentions and doesn't see a healthy future for the country in trying to integrate them into society. And the country's open sexual attitude goes directly against anything Muslim. Its hard to see Muslims staying in Denmark for long-term.

[somedaysoon]

What is it going to take for the US to do something like this?

I won't be holding my breath. I've pretty much given up.

[Modernman]

What is it going to take for the US to do something like this?

We have a much bigger margin for error than a small country like Denmark. Until a group gets up in the 10% range (which would be about 30 million in the US), any form of insurgency would be inneffective. Muslims in the US are a tiny percentage of the population. There is no possibility of them overthrowing the government.

[Paleo Conservative]

We have a much bigger margin for error than a small country like Denmark. Until a group gets up in the 10% range (which would be about 30 million in the US), any form of insurgency would be inneffective.

That's why some Muslim groups want to target several small states for immigration. That way they could get US Senate seats at a much lower total percent of the US population.

[Modernman]

That's why some Muslim groups want to target several small states for immigration. That way they could get US Senate seats at a much lower total percent of the US population

Sort of like the libertarian idea to move into a small state en masse and get libertarians elected to power. Very clever.

Of course, Congress has the power to refuse to seat any member for any reason.

[ZULU]

May as many nations of the west (and far east) as possible follow Denmark's example.

[ZULU]

"While the country may generally vote liberal...if you took out Copenhagen, then it'd be a totally different story."

Substitute New York, Massachusetts, Kalifornia, New Jersey and Maryland, and you can say the same for the U.S.

[ZULU]

"And the country's open sexual attitude goes directly against anything Muslim."

Sometimes even Muslims can be right.

[ZULU]

"Muslims in the US are a tiny percentage of the population. There is no possibility of them overthrowing the government."

Muslims have a higher birthrate than other groups in the U.S. I think your figure of 2% probably excludes "Black" Muslims. Also, the immigration rate from Islamic Countries is up in the same area as that from Hispanic Countries.
Additionally, Islam is a very active proselytizing religion and recruits vigorously in prisons among other places.

The trigger for Islamic pressures against non-Muslim practises via legal means has ALREADY been reached - Muslim women suing to be allowed to wear a veil for driver's licenses, schools permitting Islamic prayers IN SCHOOL while not permitting other religions to do so, etc.,etc.

Soon we will see more active Islamic pressures here, as well as more violent activities as their numbers increase.
Look at the recent case involving that soldier in the Northwestern U.S. Originally non-Muslim, he converted and turns traitor.

A belief system which systematically persecutes and excludes other belief systems in nearly every country where it predominates, and which is the prime source of most terrorist activities in this world, a belief system which rejects a pluralistic secular state and instead calls for a theocracy in which non-believers are systematically persecuted and relegated to secondary class citizenship, a belief system which systematically oppresses and degrades women, is a belief system which requires treatment far different than that accorded all others.

[neutrino]

Sounds as if the Dutch government has some really good ideas!

[knighthawk]

No, the Danish government. But the Dutch also got a good one. They are deporting 26.000 illigal immigrants.

[Celtman]

That's why some Muslim groups want to target several small states for immigration.

      And I believe there is a suburb of Detroit which is already predominantly Muslim.

[Paleo Conservative]

And I believe there is a suburb of Detroit which is already predominantly Muslim.

But nowhere close to being a majority of the whole state. If Muslims were to target a few states, they could pick up Senate Seats.

[VOA]

The Government wants the immigrant population, and particularly its Muslims,
to integrate with the rest of Danish society. It wants to stop the growth of
a parallel Muslim community, led by imams who preach the rejection of Western
and Danish values to Muslim youth.

Contrary to the claim of some people from the broken USSR that the USA owed them
money for having suffered through their own failed experiment...
I'd be in favor of USA government aid to Denmark if they show the rest of the
civilized world a decent model for extirpating Islam from their country.