Denmark Minister Calls Ramadan Fasting ‘Dangerous’
The minister, Inger Stojberg, made the remarks in a newspaper column on Monday in which she called adherence to the religious practice “a danger to all of us.”
The monthlong Ramadan holiday, which began last week, involves daily fasting from dawn to dusk, a period that in Denmark lasts up to 18 hours a day during the spring and summer. Ms. Stojberg pointed in particular to bus drivers and people working in hospitals.
Her comments prompted criticism from Muslims and immigration advocates.
“This is a minister who is supposed to strengthen integration and strengthen social cohesion between population groups,” said Natasha Al-Hariri, an integration consultant who holds a law degree and is Muslim. “But she’s doing the opposite: She’s stirring up a debate based on no figures, no statistics and no anecdotes.”
The office of Ms. Stojberg, whose official title is immigration and integration minister, did not return a call for comment.
Members of her center-right Liberal Party, which leads the current government, distanced themselves from her remarks.
“In Denmark there’s room for everybody — if you believe in Jesus, Allah or Buddha — as long as you mind your duties and take responsibility for your actions,” said Fatma Oktem, a party member and former member of Parliament, who was born in Denmark to Turkish parents.
A recent Justice Department proposal to ban the wearing of “clothing data-x-items that cover the face” — including burqas — in public was already testing the limits for some party members.
Responding to Ms. Stojberg’s comments, Jacob Jensen, a Liberal member of Parliament, urged fellow politicians in a Facebook post to “concentrate on solving real problems first,” and added that the management of workers during religious holidays was best left to employers.
Source: New York Times
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