«Islam should not play any role in Denmark. None. Zero. Nada. Denmark is not a Muslim country. Our culture, like the rest of the West, has been shaped by Christianity, and it has been a gigantic success,” writes the Danish newspaper B.T. in an editorial.
“The reality is that immigration from the Middle East and North Africa has led to massive problems throughout Europe. No one can deny that.”,
The newspaper, which in 2021 was Denmark’s largest online newspaper, has written the editorial against the backdrop of a debate in the Danish parliament where several hours were spent discussing whether it is possible to be Danish at heart and a devout Muslim at the same time. The answer to that question is simple, according to the newspaper: No, you can’t.
Muslims must reject parts of Islam
But they also believe that it is possible to be a Muslim and a Dane at the same time. It just requires rejecting large parts of Islam.
«Fortunately, there are also many Muslims who do. We must not forget that in this debate. But honestly, it is not a little strange that the Danish Parliament spends several hours discussing such an issue. Anyone can see that the problems with Muslim immigration are mounting in Europe.
B.T.’s editorial refers to statistics where Muslims are overrepresented, for example in terms of crime and employment.
«In a poll conducted by Wilke for Jyllands-Posten in September 2024, 54 per cent of Muslims in Denmark responded that they strongly agree or mostly agree that the instructions of the Koran must be fully followed.
40 per cent would not accept their daughter marrying a man who is not a Muslim. 59 per cent would not accept that their child is homosexual.
20 per cent say that the Koran should form the basis for legislation in whole or in part.
You can’t dismiss these responses as being an expression of cultural differences, because religion and culture naturally cannot be separated. They are two sides of the same coin, says the newspaper. Which clearly states that the West is, on all parameters, the most successful civilisation in human history. And that this is due to the values of Christianity, and not at all to Islam.
The newspaper’s rejection of Islam has provoked a huge response on B.T.’s Facebook page. Admittedly, many people believe that it is perhaps a little too late to declare that Islam should not be allowed to play any role in the country. Others, however, are simply delighted with the statement.
– Yes, thank you. Totally agree. Regarding Mustafa Sayegh – Chairman of Foreningen Frafalden, Denmark’s first association for ex-Muslims.
– Why? You can never have too much of a good thing, writes joker and Islam critic Christian Marcussen.
A Pakistani politician in Denmark
While Muslim Sikandar Siddique of the Free Greens party was highly critical of the editorial:
– BT’s editorial reduces Danish Muslims to a misconstruction. As if you can’t be a Dane and a believer. As if Islam is by definition incompatible with democracy, equality and peaceful coexistence. It’s not just wrong – it’s dangerous,” writes Siddique on B.T.’s Facebook page.
He himself hails from Pakistan, a country he still has close contact with, although he otherwise says he is Danish and exclusively Danish. Otherwise, it’s not all doom and gloom for Siddique:
«In the spring of 2017, Sikandar Siddique invested in a kitchen company in Jutland. A few months later, the company went bankrupt, and an exhibition kitchen, materials and machinery worth millions of kroner ended up in Pakistan. The cast of characters in the mysterious plot is reminiscent of well-known VAT fraud cases»,
wrote the newspaper Berlingske in 2022.
Naser Khader, a former Muslim from Syria, now a Christian from Denmark, is among those who don’t think Sikandar Siddique is so Danish that it matters, even though he was born in Copenhagen:
«In Denmark, he is in constant opposition to Danish society. Everything is wrong here. But not a single point of criticism about Pakistan. Seems like Pakistan is more important to him than Denmark.
Has he discussed human rights, minority rights, labour rights, corruption and religious freedom?
Has he discussed the persecution of Pakistani Christians? The country’s blasphemy laws, which particularly affect Christian Pakistanis? A well-known example is Asia Bibi, who was sentenced to death for having a discussion about faith with a Muslim colleague.
According to human rights organisations, around 1,000 girls from minority backgrounds are kidnapped every year, especially girls from Christian and Hindu families. After being kidnapped, they are forcibly married to older men and forcibly converted to Islam.
Has Sikander Siddique addressed any of these issues?»
This was written by Khader in connection with Siddique’s most recent trip to Pakistan in March, and thus summarises some of the general problem with a single example.