Daily Times

Denmark’s strained relationship with its Muslim population dates back to the cartoon row of more than a decade ago. In 2005, Jyllands-Posten published a series of caricatures portraying the Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) as a terrorist. This sparked protests around the Muslim world; which, in effect, placed Danish Muslims in the line of state fire.

For many, prevailing tensions have anything but eased during the intervening years. Less than a month ago, Muslims were back in the headlines when Inger Stojberg, a minister from the Danish centre-right Liberal Party, penned a column in a national tabloid urging them to be granted a leave of absence from the workplace for the duration of the month of Ramzan. Allegedly due to worries over “safety and productivity” that could have dangerous repercussions “for all of us”. Admittedly, these are legitimate concerns; especially for those unfamiliar with the ins-and-outs of Muslim fasting. But the path towards clarification lies in fostering cross-religious cultural understanding. And this was not it.

Of course, this may be dismissed as nothing more than a minister opportunistically trying to garner more support for her party. Which itself only goes to underscore the dangerous trajectory that European politics is following vis-à-vis its Muslim populations. Indeed, Danish Parliament this week banned garments that cover the face. Naturally, this includes Islamic veils such as the burqa and niqab. And it was perhaps no coincidence that the legislation had been introduced by the ruling centre-right coalition, which includes Stojberg’s Liberal Party.

That being said, it would be a mistake to single out Copenhagen on this front. After all, the relationship between Europe and the veil is a long simmering one. France and Belgium both outlawed it in the public sphere in 2011. And while other countries have since followed suit — the European Court of Justice last year ruled that employers have the right to prohibit staff from wearing visible religious symbols.

Sadly, Europe has experienced a rise in right-wing politics in recent years; which has, in reality, translated into anti-immigration offensives. Though quite possibly the most effective means of doing this would be for the NATO war machine to refrain from bombing the Muslim world. But be that as it may, it is equally lamentable that the question of religious pluralism becomes confused with immigration. And when this happens, women become the first casualties of this ongoing battle. For it is they who have their bodies relentlessly policed by the patriarchy. Be this the Taliban. Or the majority white male-dominated upper echelons of European power. It is but the same coin.  *

Published in Daily Times, June 2^nd 2018.