Something Rotten in Denmark?

by Daniel Pipes and Lars Hedegaard
New York Post
August 27, 2002

A Muslim group in Denmark announced a few days ago that a $30,000 bounty would be paid for the murder of several prominent Danish Jews, a threat that garnered wide international notice. Less well known is that this is just one problem associated with Denmark's approximately 200,000 Muslim immigrants. The key issue is that many of them show little desire to fit into their adopted country.

For years, Danes lauded multiculturalism and insisted they had no problem with the Muslim customs - until one day they found that they did. Some major issues:

* Living on the dole: Third-world immigrants - most of them Muslims from countries such as Turkey, Somalia, Pakistan, Lebanon and Iraq - constitute 5 percent of the population but consume upwards of 40 percent of the welfare spending.

* Engaging in crime: Muslims are only 4 percent of Denmark's 5.4 million people but make up a majority of the country's convicted rapists, an especially combustible issue given that practically all the female victims are non-Muslim. Similar, if lesser, disproportions are found in other crimes.

* Self-imposed isolation: Over time, as Muslim immigrants increase in numbers, they wish less to mix with the indigenous population. A recent survey finds that only 5 percent of young Muslim immigrants would readily marry a Dane.

* Importing unacceptable customs: Forced marriages - promising a newborn daughter in Denmark to a male cousin in the home country, then compelling her to marry him, sometimes on pain of death - are one problem.

Another is threats to kill Muslims who convert out of Islam. One Kurdish convert to Christianity, who went public to explain why she had changed religion, felt the need to hide her face and conceal her identity, fearing for her life.

* Fomenting anti-Semitic: Muslim violence threatens Denmark's approximately 6,000 Jews, who increasingly depend on police protection. Jewish parents were told by one school principal that she could not guarantee their children's safety and were advised to attend another institution. Anti-Israel marches have turned into anti-Jewish riots. One organization, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, openly calls on Muslims to "kill all Jews . . . wherever you find them."

* Seeking Islamic law: Muslim leaders openly declare their goal of introducing Islamic law once Denmark's Muslim population grows large enough - a not-that-remote prospect. If present trends persist, one sociologist estimates, every third inhabitant of Denmark in 40 years will be Muslim.

Other Europeans (such as the late Pim Fortuyn in Holland) have also grown alarmed about these issues, but Danes were the first to make them the basis for a change in government.

In a momentous election last November, a center-right coalition came to power that - for the first time since 1929 - excluded the socialists. The right broke its 72-year losing streak and won a solid parliamentary majority by promising to handle immigration issues, the electorate's first concern, differently from the socialists.

The next nine months did witness some fine-tuning of procedures: Immigrants now must live seven years in Denmark (rather than three) to become permanent residents. Most non-refugees no longer can collect welfare checks immediately on entering the country. No one can bring into the country an intended spouse under the age of 24. And the state prosecutor is considering a ban on Hizb-ut-Tahrir for its death threats against Jews.

These minor adjustments prompted howls internationally - with European and U.N. reports condemning Denmark for racism and "Islamophobia," the Washington Post reporting that Muslim immigrants "face habitual discrimination," and a London Guardian headline announcing that "Copenhagen Flirts with Fascism."

In reality, however, the new government barely addressed the existing problems. Nor did it prevent new ones, such as the death threats against Jews or a recent Islamic edict calling on Muslims to drive Danes out of the Norrebro quarter of Copenhagen.

The authorities remain indulgent. The military mulls permitting Muslim soldiers in Denmark's volunteer International Brigade to opt out of actions they don't agree with - a privilege granted to members of no other faith. Mohammed Omar Bakri, the self-proclaimed London-based "eyes, ears and mouth" of Osama bin Laden, won permission to set up a branch of his organization, Al-Muhajiroun.

Contrary to media reports, the real news from Denmark is not flirting with fascism but getting mired in inertia. A government elected specifically to deal with a set of problems has made minimal headway. Its reluctance has potentially profound implications for the West as a whole.

Grateful for EU welfare.

FOLLOW-UP LETTERS

Multiculturalism and Denmark

National Post
September 6, 2002
Letters
Elisabeth Arnold and Elsebeth Gerner Nielsen, Members of the Danish Parliament.

As Danish politicians, we are offended by the way integration problems in Denmark were portrayed by Daniel Pipes and Lars Hedegaard and we wish to set the record straight (Muslim Extremism: Denmark's had Enough, Daniel Pipes and Lars Hedegaard, Aug. 27).

The authors claim that 40% of Danish welfare expenses are consumed by Muslim immigrants. Denmark has a much broader spectrum of welfare costs than countries in North America. We include not only unemployment benefits and social security but also substantial allocations to housing, transport, home care, early retirement, protected workplaces, daycare and other smaller schemes. Muslim immigrants do not receive 40% of those allocations even though they represent a substantial part of the clients. The main reason being: It is hard to compete on a job market not interested in employing immigrants.

The further assumption that more than half of all rapists in Denmark are Muslims is without any basis in fact, as criminal registers do not record religion.

Mr. Pipes and Mr. Hedegaard mention that only 5% of young Muslims in Denmark wish to marry a Dane. A sign of self-inflicted isolation, indeed. We welcome the brave 5% who accept intermarriage - they are true pioneers for peaceful co-existence and human contact across cultures. However, the new Danish government has made it extremely difficult for Danish citizens to bring a foreign spouse to Denmark. The ruling opinion obviously is that intermarriage should be avoided.

Mr. Pipes and Mr. Hedegaard also claim that Muslim violence threatens the 6,000 Jewish citizens in Denmark. Rumors - also hitting the front pages of major newspapers - tell that identified Jewish Danes figure on a death list. Danish authorities consider death threats very serious, but police investigators have so far found no evidence of real threats.

During the coming decade, Denmark will need 100,000 new pairs of hands in the workforce. The Danes produce fewer children and live longer. Integration must work better and immigrants admitted to Denmark should be welcomed. On this point, we take inspiration from Canadian society, which is open to other cultures and religions.

Muslim Women living on EU welfare.

Re: Multiculturalism and Denmark

National Post
September 10, 2002
Letters
Daniel Pipes and Lars Hedegaard, Philadelphia, PA.

Elisabeth Arnold and Elsebeth Gerner Nielsen, two members of the Danish parliament, are "offended" by our article Muslim Extremism: Denmark's had Enough, (Aug. 27).

Most Canadian readers may not realize that both writers are politicians belonging to the Socialist-Radical Liberal government that was defeated last November --- indeed, Ms. Nielsen was its minister of culture. They have an axe to grind.

Both protest our conclusion that Muslims "make up a majority of the country's convicted rapists," saying that because Danish statistics do not correlate religion with crime, this assertion "is without any basis in fact." Statistics Denmark does, however, produce numbers on immigrants from Third World countries and their descendants, which it reports makes up 5% of the population; and it is known that Muslims make up four-fifths of this element. The latest police figures show that 76.5% of convicted rapists in Copenhagen belong to that 5% of the population, and from that we drew our understated conclusion.

Our critics then sow confusion about the word "welfare." We wrote in English for an English-speaking readership, and used "welfare" in the conventional English sense of meaning public assistance in the form of cash or food stamps - not in the Danish sense of including "housing, transport, homecare, early retirement, protected workplaces, daycare and other smaller schemes" as mentioned by the two politicians.

As for the numbers involved, former Socialist spokeswoman for immigration and integration Ritt Bjerregaard has leaked figures from an unpublished study showing that in 1999, the 5% of the Danish population made up of Third World immigrants received 35% of all welfare payments (Danish: kontanthjaelp). This percentage is higher today and therefore we wrote that 5% consumes "upwards of 40% of the welfare spending."

Both MPs may not believe Danish Jews are threatened but the Jewish population itself believes it is under siege. This obliviousness of Ms. Arnold and Ms. Nielsen is part of a larger problem, whereby they have long been among the most vocal cheerleaders of massive immigration and completely blind to the problems this creates. Unfortunately for them, Danish voters do see the problems and threw their coalition out of office last November.

Finally, we are at a loss to explain the notion our critics forward that the current government believes "intermarriage should be avoided" between Danes and foreigners, an outrageous accusation which no one of any political stature has advocated. To the contrary, the policy of the government is integration, not segregation.

Googled

Google has been accused of censoring writers critical of Islamic fascism, those critical of violent minority crime, and the liberal agenda in general. Google refers to them as promoting "hate." They are also cut off from Adsense revenue. The truth is not hate.

This picture caused Muslims to riot. Yet in my reading of the Koran (I have two differing copies) there's no prohibition against a picture of the Prophet, just idols. There's also no support for suicide bombings, there's no mention of Jerusalem, and in fact most of what Muslims do doesn't come from the Koran at all. The terrorist tactics have been imported from Europe and the West.

There is simply nothing offensive or intended to be in the above picture. The Prophet was just a man and never claimed any divine status. For Muslims to treat him in the manner of a divine or god-like figure is the very idolatry the Prophet would never approve of. Regardless, Muslims are directly responsible for their actions and should be held accountable. L. Loflin

Click here to download all 12 cartoons.

Support Denmark

by Lewis Loflin

To the Bristol Herald Courier February 20, 2006

Regarding this Muslim rioting and killing over some cartoons, all freedom loving people must stand with Denmark against Islamic fascism. This is further proof Islam is incompatible with civilized society and we must reconsider Muslim immigration into the West. It's time we start being "offended" by their barbaric behavior. Don't play the race card or political correctness with me. I have no problem with Arab Christians or Indian Hindus, often victims of Muslim violence as well. A play at a Christian Church in Egypt caused "offended" Muslims to riot and destroy seven churches.

I believe women have equal rights to men, Islam doesn't. In Pakistan a man murdered his stepdaughter who was accused of adultery, then murdered his other minor three daughters for "family honor." All legal in Muslim society, so where are the Liberals on this one? (AP Dec. 28) When a Muslim woman wanted to marry a Christian man, the so-called Palestinian Muslims murdered her and firebombed the entire Christian community. It's illegal for a Muslim women to marry a non-Muslim, but not vice-versa. Who says they just riot over pictures?

Muslims disseminate an endless stream of anti-Semitic and religious hate against Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Buddhists. Where's those yelling political correctness? The Left takes every opportunity to attack America, but makes excuses and blame us for Muslim violence. I don't see Christians or Hindus bombing subways or rioting.

Muslims come to the West to enjoy prosperity their own bankrupt culture could never provide, then sit in silence as savages in the name of Islam create havoc everywhere. They want us to apologize for offending them?

I posted those cartoons on my website and call on everyone to post them everywhere, including in the Herald Courier, in support of freedom. Freedom of religion, press, and expression are God-given rights, let's stand with Denmark.

Good News: Immigrant population tumbles downward By The Copenhagen Post August 7, 2006

A new population forecast shows that birth rates among immigrant women have dropped from four to 2.4 children. The fall in proportion is due to the older age of women immigrating to the country. There are also fewer immigrants from the lesser developed countries.

Compared to the last population forecast in 2004, the predicted number of immigrants and their descendants has almost halved from 15.3 percent. The lower birth rate means that immigrants and their descendants from countries like Turkey, Somalia, Lebanon and Iraq will constitute just under eight percent of Denmark's population in 2080.

Cartoon Jihad

February 14, 2006 Two dead in Pakistan cartoon rioting

An update to this story. "Two dead in Pakistan rioting," from AP, with thanks to Jeffrey Imm: LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) -- More than 1,000 protesters stormed into Islamabad's diplomatic district while thousands vandalized Western businesses and torched a government building in another city Tuesday, in Pakistan's worst wave of violence against the Prophet Mohammed cartoons, officials said. At least two people were killed.

Dubai, Feb 15 (PTI) An Indian sailor was allegedly beaten to death by his colleagues on board a Norwegian oil tanker in the international waters off the coast of Fujairah in the UAE following an argument over the cartoon row. A fight ensued among the seamen after an argument over the cartoon issue, causing the death of one sailor, a media report said.

Arab journalists jailed over cartoons (AP)

Algeria closed two newspapers and arrested their editors for printing the images of the cartoons of the Prophet. The Algerian authorities have condemned the cartoons and urged the Danish government to punish those behind their publication....Yemen detained three journalists on Sunday and is seeking a fourth after closing three publications that printed the cartoons. Also on Sunday, Turks pelted the French consulate in Istanbul with eggs as about 2500 demonstrators shouted "Down with America, Israel and Denmark," in the latest protests against the publication of the cartoons....

Muslims held a series of largely peaceful demonstrations in European cities, including London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin and Berne. The cartoons have now been published in Australia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Fiji, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, the United States, Ukraine and Yemen.

Who us??? Faces of evil that give Islam an evil name.
This terrorism was planned by them in December, 2005.

Young immigrants commit more crime

3 September 2004 Dr Nyheder Online - English

The number of young immigrants committing crimes in Denmark is creeping up, reports newspaper Politiken today. In the first seven months of this year, 63 young people under 18 years old came before the courts of Greater Copenhagen accused of serious crime. 53 of them were of immigrant background which is the highest number of immigrant offenders in 5 years. The other 10 were ethnic Danes representing the lowest number in the same period. Greater Copenhagen Authority is now intent on strengthening efforts to combat crime amongst young people of non-Danish ethnic origin, by concentrating on removing the hard core and placing more police officers in the areas where the crimes are most common.

"Several days of Muslim Riots in Denmark (Not only in France)," a translation of this Jyllands Posten piece from Free Republic, November 2005. (extracts)

For several nights in a row, there has been the worst riots in Arhus for many years. "This land belongs to us", declared the young rioters. Another arson attack took place Sunday night. Sunday evening the fire department needed police escorts to get in and extinguish an arsonist fires.

The words of the young Muslims sound like an open declaration of war against Danish society. The police must stay away. This area belongs to immigrants who three nights in a row have rioted, and put business on fire. They are celebrating the worst riots in Arhus in several years. Every night, 30 to 40 immigrant Muslims participated. Only two are under arrest.

It was a victory. The fire engines waited for police escort so they could enter in and try to put out the fires. Saturday, a 16 year old from Somalia was jailed for committing dangerous violence, because he attacked a bakery with large rocks. One rock barely missed the baker's face. "We are tired of being oppressed. We are tired of the police raiding our parents. We are tired of the police stopping our cars, and raiding us in public and damaging our honor."

"We are tired of the police beating up our friends, like they did this afternoon", screams the young man with his face covered. He calls himself 100 percent Palestinian, born in a refugee camp in Lebanon, 19 years ago, and is now unemployed in Denmark. "The police have to stay away. This is our area. We rule this place."

And then comes the cartoons of Mohammed. "We are angry to what has happened to our prophet. We are tired of the Jyllands Post (Danish paper who published cartoons of Mohammed). I know that it wasn't you, but we are not going to take this, what the Jyllands Post has done towards the prophet", he states aggressively, and the others nod in agreement.

Two of them are Turk's, and it is the first time that Turk's and Palestinian have joined forces, according to the spokesman. "We have planned this for three weeks. That's why only two were arrested on Saturday. Police tried to block us in, but we know how to get out", he states and disappears chewing on a piece of pizza that he has looted from Fun Pizza.

Queen Margrethe II,
"There is something impressive about people for whom religion imbues their existence, from dusk to dawn, from cradle to grave...We should not be content with living next to each other. We should rather live together."

Hail Queen Margrethe II

by Lewis Loflin

The Danish and Norwegian Embassies in Syria have been attacked, burned and looted, while Islamists boycott Danish products. All of this because some cartoons critical of Islam were published in the press. Since being published in Denmark in September, they have been reprinted in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Hungary, as well as in Jordan. They are also on the Internet. Editors at the papers in France and Jordan were fired. The United States has been trying to improve its image in the Arab world, badly damaged by the Iraq war and American support for Israel, is pandering to Muslims by calling the cartoons of Muhammad "offensive." Yet Europe, pandering to Muslims and often attacking Israel and America, aren't immune from Muslim violence either.

Queen Margrethe of Denmark has spoken out against radical Islam and called on Muslim immigrants in the country to improve their Danish language skills. She said people had to take the "challenge" of Islam seriously. "We have let this issue float around for too long, because we are tolerant and rather lazy," she said "Muslims should learn Danish properly, so they would not feel excluded from society."

Calling for opposition to radical Islam, she said: "We have to run the risk of being labeled in an unflattering way, because there are some things for which we should display no tolerance." More than 400,000 of Denmark's 5.4 million inhabitants are immigrants, but only about 150,000 are Muslims, amounting to 3% of the population.

However, that still makes them the second-largest religious group in Denmark behind the Lutheran-Evangelical Church, of which the queen is supreme governor and to which 85% of the population belong. The government has implemented a series of measures in recent years aimed at curbing immigration, which include making it harder for people to bring in foreign spouses or gain asylum in Denmark.

As in France, the issue of Islamic headgear for women has caused controversy. In January, Denmark's Supreme Court ruled that a supermarket chain had the right to fire a young Muslim woman for wearing an Islamic head scarf to work. Source, BBC.

Gaza Arabs burn the Danish flag,
while living off welfare provided by the EU and US.