Posted on 09/22/2003 5:26:32 AM PDT by veronica
COPENHAGEN: Denmark’s right-wing government on Friday published a plan to curb the activities of radical religious leaders, which politicians said was aimed at Islamic clerics.
The proposal is part of a package of strict new immigration laws the government announced on Thursday. It has the support of the government’s far-right ally, the Danish People’s Party (DPP), and the opposition Social Democrats and is therefore expected to sail through parliament in October. The rules oblige religious leaders to be financially self-sufficient, speak Danish and respect “Western values” or risk being declared persona non grata.
They are apparently designed to deter radical Islamic clerics from establishing bases in Denmark and clip the wings of those already living in the tiny country.
Although the new rules do not specifically target Islamic leaders, which would leave the government open to accusations of discrimination, politicians confirmed they were aimed at Muslim clerics, or imams.
The DPP, which proposed the new rules, made its intentions clear on Friday.
“In theory, these rules concern all clerics from all religions. But in practice, they target the imams,” DPP spokesman Peter Skaarup told AFP. He pointed out that the Muslim faith was Denmark’s second largest religion after the Lutheran Protestant Church, which is actively followed by four-fifths of the country’s population of 5.3 million. Muslims account for three percent of the population, or 170,000 people.
“We proposed these new rules because we’ve had lots of problems with imams in Denmark who advocate circumcising girls, urge their followers to support Al Qaeda and preach in their own language. How do you expect to integrate immigrants if their religious leaders don’t even speak Danish?”
Integration Minister Bertel Haarder told Friday’s Jyllands-Posten newspaper some imams would be forced to leave Denmark because they would not be able to comply with the new rules and would therefore be refused residence permits. “I think the most fundamentalist of the imams, who are poorly educated and speak Danish badly, will end up having to go back home,” he said. “The imams have a very negative influence on both parents and young people,” he added.
The opposition Social Democrats — who lost power in November 2001 after a campaign dominated by the issue of immigration — told AFP they sided with the liberal-conservative government and the fiercely anti-immigrant DPP. “It is necessary for the imams to prove they have had a religious education, respect human rights and sexual equality, show they are worthy of the Danish public’s confidence, be aware of Danish society’s values and speak Danish,” said Social Democrat spokeswoman Anne-Marie Melgaard. “It is also equally important for the imams to give a moderate interpretation of Islam.”.”
“We don’t want them to undermine our efforts to integrate immigrants,” she said. “Immigrant Muslim girls change their behaviour and start wearing headscarves when a new imam from their (home) villages comes and gives Friday prayers,” she alleged. Before the 2001 election, the Social Democrats had vowed to shun the DPP because of its anti-immigrant vitriol. But Ms Melgaard said the party was now supporting the religious crackdown because the DPP’s views had the support of 12 percent of the Danish electorate.
“We made a deal with the DPP because it’s a party that represents a good portion of the electorate and they have to be taken into account,” she said.
Shhhhh.... let's not say it out loud... As long as Muslims seek conquest over people of other faiths, they will always be the enemy.
I agree. Good news for the day.
I believe this is just the first of many countries to change their laws.
Germany will rekindle it's ethnic pride while tiptoeing on the narrow edge of racial superiority.
Old habits are never completely overcome.
Like smoking or overeating.......the urge is always there.
In stark contrast to sandmaggot countries, where the praactice of any religion or religious expression by anyone is similarly and universally applied, immediately and indeed peemptively.
A most modest expression of sanity in an otherwise insane continent.
It's impossible to convince me that putting my hand on a red-glowing stove top burner does not hurt or do harm.
I don't care what your comic book says...
Wouldn't that make it a "cult crackdown"?
Denmark remains open as an escape destination after the inevitable Aztlan destruction of America.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.