Denmark appears to be tightening noose against a particular religious community over what appears to be a strong islamophobic stance.
Denmark has called for a nationwide ban on the Islamic call to prayer – the azaan, amid concerns over ‘Islamisation’ in the country, according to a report in The Daily Mail. The plan was announced by the country’s hardline immigration minister Morten Bodskov, who emphasised that parts of the country have come to feel like “a suburb of Islamabad”.
Bodskov told Danish news agency Ritzau that creeping Islamisation in Denmark was taking up too much public space. Muslims account for around 5% of Denmark’s population, making them the largest minority community. “The call to prayer should not be heard over Danish rooftops,” the Leftist leader of the Social Democrats party said.
The remarks come at a time when Denmark has been pursuing some of Europe’s toughest immigration policies under Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Earlier Denmark passed a law banning the Islamic full-face veil in public spaces. It has also directed educational institutions to remove prayer rooms.
However, parts of the European country already restrict public calls to prayer. For example, in Copenhagen, strict noise regulations prevent mosques from broadcasting the azaan through loudspeakers. The Grand Mosque of Copenhagen does not conduct an outdoor call to prayer.
However, a nationwide ban on a religious practice outright is likely to invite legal challenges. Denmark’s Constitution protects the right to public worship, and such a move is bound to raise concerns of violation of fundamental protections.
Bodskov said the government would first investigate whether the Muslim call to prayer can be outlawed nationwide, while remaining compatible with constitutional safeguards for religious freedom.
In 2023, anti-Islam activists in Denmark burned and damaged several copies of the Quran, the Muslim holy book, triggering international uproar. Amid global pressure, Denmark brought in a law banning the burning of religious scriptures.
