Danes' Anti-Immigrant Backlash Marks Radical Shift

[peejay 327]

Danes' Anti-Immigrant Backlash Marks Radical Shift

by Sylvia Poggioli

N.P.R.

Morning Edition, November 20, 2006 · An anti-immigrant backlash, bordering on xenophobia, is sweeping across Europe. Sentiments once associated with ultra right-wing parties are becoming mainstream. Many taboos are being broken -- nowhere more starkly than in Denmark -- the erstwhile poster child of the welcoming and nurturing welfare state.

Earlier this year, that haven of solidarity and liberalism was shaken by violent protests and deaths in the Muslim world over cartoons of Mohammed that were published in a Danish paper. Suddenly, Danes began to see their own Muslim immigrants as a threat to their national identity.

The cartoon crisis hit hard in the Copenhagen commune of Christiania, a bastion of the counterculture where freedom of speech is the paramount value.

Sculptor/welder Charlotte Steem, one of the commune's 800 residents, says the violence with which some Muslims reacted to the Mohammed cartoons has undermined many of her convictions.

"There are a lot of things I don't understand in [the] Muslim world," Steem says. She recognizes the free society of her country but says she doesn't know whether borders can remain open.

Only a few years ago, Denmark was proud of its open-door policy, and even the mildest critique of immigration would have been labeled racist.

But the mood shifted after Sept. 11, and the terrorist attacks in Europe. After many years of leftist rule, a right-wing government came to power, introducing Europe's toughest immigration laws.

It also introduced restrictions aimed at curbing forced marriages among Muslims.

Today, the Danish political discourse is no longer stifled by political correctness. The tone can even be inflammatory. One politician has called for the internment of some Muslim radicals in Denmark for security reasons.

And last year, a radio station went so far as to call for the extermination of all radical Muslims.

The difficulty of integrating Muslims who don't share Western values is the No.1 topic of discussion.

Currently, the nation's best-selling book is called Islamists and Naivists.

"We compare Islamism to Nazism and communism because they are all three of them a totalitarian ideology," says Karen Jespersen, who co-wrote the book with her husband, Ralf Pittlekow.

Their politically incorrect analysis would suggest they're right-wingers. But they're diehard Social Democrats -- proud veterans of the student protests of the 1960s.

Jespersen, a feminist and a former interior minister in charge of immigration issues, says the radicals' goal is the Islamization of Europe. When she was in government, many Muslims told her they were not free to adapt to Western society.

"In the parallel society, they use the term 'Muslim police,'" she says. "They are trying to control the more moderate Muslims. If they see their daughters talking to boys, then they go to the fathers and say, 'I saw your girl talking to a boy, and how can you let her? You have to stop it immediately.'"

The concept of the cradle-to-grave welfare state is so deeply embedded in the Danish psyche that even the conservatives don't dare touch it. But many Danes say their social pact has been undermined by the large inflow of immigrants -- many of whom don't share Danish civic values and, they say, prefer to live on the dole rather than work for the minimum wage.

"A welfare state can only function if there are restrictions on the border," says Soren Espersen, a leading member of the right-wing Danish People's Party, which has had increasing electoral success running on an anti-immigration platform.

The government depends on the party's parliamentary support to pass bills.

Espersen points out that thanks to new laws, annual immigration has declined to 2,000 last year from 27,000 in 2001. Asylum for refugees has also dropped sharply.

Despite promoting Europe's harshest immigration law, the DPP rejects being identified with the racism and anti-Semitism associated with French ultra right-wing politician Jean-Marie Le Pen. It's radical Islam, Espersen says, that today represents the extreme right.

And the only way to combat it is through integration and education, he says.

Commentator David Trads says there is such a broad political consensus that the DPP has become mainstream.

"We want as few new immigrants as possible," Trads says. "This is new; this is not how it was five years ago."

One of parliament's most vocal opponents of Islamic radicals is Syrian-born Naser Khader, who says the integration debate is roiling among Muslims themselves.

Khader says many Muslims in Europe want to break their ties with their land of origin and declare their loyalty to their new Western homelands.

"But the Islamists don't like this," he says. "They want the mullahs and imams in Muslim countries [to] decide what the Muslims in Europe should do."

Khader insists that Islam and the West are not grappling with a clash of civilizations.

"It is clash between ideologies, democracy and not democracy," he says. "Between those who want democracy, modernity, respect for human rights, equality between gender, and the others who want the opposite."

Khader says it will be a long battle and won't be won during his lifetime.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6505809

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Seems like they learned their lesson.

[Heracles 417]

That says something considering Europe has nowhere near the same problem with illegal immigrants as the US does. In terms of legal immigrants, Europe has already been where America is heading. The open policy immigration has failed in so many countries there. The biggest failure is the lack of assimilation by some cultures.

Edited November 22, 2006 by Infidel

[tmma 467]

The Dutch are trying to institute a test that would-be immigrants to the Netherlands have to take and pass before admission to the Netherlands is granted.. Part of the test requires that the would-be immigrant speak Dutch, as Dutch has become a minority language second to Arabic and Turkish ( and variations of such) in large parts of Holland.

Can't find the link for the news article, but it really is indicative of the shifting tide within Europe when one of the most historically liberal European countries is tightening their controls on the flood of immigrants; requiring them to at least demonstrate some effort to assimilate into Dutch society.

I don't blame the Dutch at all.

Seriously; if would-be immigrants do not like the views or norms of the Netherlands (or which ever country you are immigrating to), why move there at all?

So they institute a "standard" for immigrant applicants to meet before allowing immgration priviliges-the major part being the applicant can speak Dutch....

Good for the Dutch, I say!

I hope their immigration reforms make it through their parliament.

I believe more nations should follow suit.

That's my opinion, not much is going to change my mind.

I know if I move to Holland, I need to speak Dutch to get a job and function within their society; just like Mark needs to speak English here in America (not many Dutch speakers/employers here in Texas).

Again, my opinion.

Edited November 22, 2006 by tmma

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Immigration is a privilege. That's the bottom line.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

That says something considering Europe has nowhere near the same problem with illegal immigrants as the US does. In terms of legal immigrants, Europe has already been where America is heading. The open policy immigration has failed in so many countries there. The biggest failure is the lack of assimilation by some cultures.

That's blatantly untrue. Illegal immigration is a huge problem all over Europe. Where do you think all the people from the former Yugoslavia ended up after the war? not to mention all the people from the rest of Eastern Europe who flooded into the west from former Soviet republics?

[peejay 327]

"A welfare state can only function if there are restrictions on the border," says Soren Espersen.

In the USA...this isn't your grandparents' immigration. During the greatest wave of US immigration there was no welfare state. My mom and aunts were not anchor babies or a welfare ticket to my immigrant grandparents.

Nor was a vast majority of immigrants from one country, region, and language as it is now. Most of that being illegal immigration.

All the more reason to radically change US immigration policy to refect the 21st century instead of trying to live in an America of the past that doesn't exist anymore. Importing mass poverty in a welfare state is stupid.

Immigration is not about killing the culture of the host nation or accomodating the world's cultures to the detriment of the host nation.

American immigration policy is disfunctional, seriously broken, and has been for too many decades. At least Denmark has the balls to deal with it.

[Heracles 417]

Immigration is a privilege. That's the bottom line.

You got that right.

Every new immigrant should be asked to pass some sort of test which shows their understanding of the country's culture, traditions, laws etc. Only once they have passed this basic test should any visa be granted.. Excluding tourist visas of course..

American immigration policy is disfunctional, seriously broken, and has been for too many decades. At least Denmark has the balls to deal with it.

UK, Canada, Australia for example have a points based system. Illegal immigrants down under would be rounded up and sent off. Only asylum seekers may be further processed. That is, the processing takes place while they are in detention camps so their backgrounds and stories can be properly investigated.

[kaydee457 13]

"A welfare state can only function if there are restrictions on the border," says Soren Espersen.

In the USA...this isn't your grandparents' immigration. During the greatest wave of US immigration there was no welfare state. My mom and aunts were not anchor babies or a welfare ticket to my immigrant grandparents.

Nor was a vast majority of immigrants from one country, region, and language as it is now. Most of that being illegal immigration.

All the more reason to radically change US immigration policy to refect the 21st century instead of trying to live in an America of the past that doesn't exist anymore. Importing mass poverty in a welfare state is stupid.

Immigration is not about killing the culture of the host nation or accomodating the world's cultures to the detriment of the host nation.

American immigration policy is disfunctional, seriously broken, and has been for too many decades. At least Denmark has the balls to deal with it.

Well said!

[Heracles 417]

That says something considering Europe has nowhere near the same problem with illegal immigrants as the US does. In terms of legal immigrants, Europe has already been where America is heading. The open policy immigration has failed in so many countries there. The biggest failure is the lack of assimilation by some cultures.

That's blatantly untrue. Illegal immigration is a huge problem all over Europe. Where do you think all the people from the former Yugoslavia ended up after the war? not to mention all the people from the rest of Eastern Europe who flooded into the west from former Soviet republics?

Europe obviously is not a country. How would Germany, France or the UK cope with 12 million + illegal immigrants?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

... many Muslims in Europe want to break their ties with their land of origin and declare their loyalty to their new Western homelands.

"But the Islamists don't like this," he says. "They want the mullahs and imams in Muslim countries [to] decide what the Muslims in Europe should do."

Not any mullahs and imams. Their mullahs and imams.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

That says something considering Europe has nowhere near the same problem with illegal immigrants as the US does. In terms of legal immigrants, Europe has already been where America is heading. The open policy immigration has failed in so many countries there. The biggest failure is the lack of assimilation by some cultures.

That's blatantly untrue. Illegal immigration is a huge problem all over Europe. Where do you think all the people from the former Yugoslavia ended up after the war? not to mention all the people from the rest of Eastern Europe who flooded into the west from former Soviet republics?

Europe obviously is not a country. How would Germany, France or the UK cope with 12 million + illegal immigrants?

What does that have to do with it? Europe, as a whole, has a huge problem with illegal immigration. In terms of proportion of the population you need only look at France and Britain to see that.

Ever been to Luton or Leicester?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Ever been to Luton or Leicester?

Why do you assume they're illegal?

Edited November 22, 2006 by Gupt

[munchkins 1]

That says something considering Europe has nowhere near the same problem with illegal immigrants as the US does. In terms of legal immigrants, Europe has already been where America is heading. The open policy immigration has failed in so many countries there. The biggest failure is the lack of assimilation by some cultures.

That's blatantly untrue. Illegal immigration is a huge problem all over Europe. Where do you think all the people from the former Yugoslavia ended up after the war? not to mention all the people from the rest of Eastern Europe who flooded into the west from former Soviet republics?

Europe obviously is not a country. How would Germany, France or the UK cope with 12 million + illegal immigrants?

The UK could not cope with that amount of illegal immigrants, that should be obvious from the size of this country, we are already struggling under an inadequate and useless government who have totally lost control of our borders with the amount that we have, legal and illegal

I wish this government had the guts to do what Denmark is doing but it is not only the illegals that are a problem but the influx of eastern europeans amongst whom many are already claiming some form of benefit, never having paid into our system. They work for far less than the minimum wage, many in the black market and thereby deprive the indiginious population of jobs. Our own bricklayers, builders etc are being denied work by Polish labourers who will work for less than the minimum wage which is far more than they can earn in their own country. I can understand them wanting to make a better life for themselves but a limit has to be applied to even legal immigration. Our infrastructure, schools (where sometimes more than 30 languages are spoken) our hospitals are suffering under the added burden of so many extra people. the illegals can just present themselves at a doctors or a hospital and they cannot be turned away, this in itself is costing an already struggling NHS dearly by taking up funding that they cannot afford.

Many legal immigrants settle well and contribute to our economy, live by the laws of the land and asssimilate into society but there are many who do not make it and become a drain on our services combine that with all the illegals and you have a recipe for disaster

Someone has to stand up and say enough is enough and set some form of limit and for all those, legal or illegal who then deride and complain about the country that they have moved to because their own was in their eyes, worse or they could not earn enough, I say, do not bite the hand that feeds you and if you do not like it = go home

[peejay 327]

The UK could not cope with that amount of illegal immigrants, that should be obvious from the size of this country, we are already struggling under an inadequate and useless government who have totally lost control of our borders with the amount that we have, legal and illegal

I wish this government had the guts to do what Denmark is doing but it is not only the illegals that are a problem but the influx of eastern europeans amongst whom many are already claiming some form of benefit, never having paid into our system. They work for far less than the minimum wage, many in the black market and thereby deprive the indiginious population of jobs. Our own bricklayers, builders etc are being denied work by Polish labourers who will work for less than the minimum wage which is far more than they can earn in their own country. I can understand them wanting to make a better life for themselves but a limit has to be applied to even legal immigration. Our infrastructure, schools (where sometimes more than 30 languages are spoken) our hospitals are suffering under the added burden of so many extra people. the illegals can just present themselves at a doctors or a hospital and they cannot be turned away, this in itself is costing an already struggling NHS dearly by taking up funding that they cannot afford.

Many legal immigrants settle well and contribute to our economy, live by the laws of the land and asssimilate into society but there are many who do not make it and become a drain on our services combine that with all the illegals and you have a recipe for disaster

Someone has to stand up and say enough is enough and set some form of limit and for all those, legal or illegal who then deride and complain about the country that they have moved to because their own was in their eyes, worse or they could not earn enough, I say, do not bite the hand that feeds you and if you do not like it = go home

That is how oligarchies work. You think your best interests are being considered by your elected representatives, but the fact is that the oligarchs are doing what is in their own best interests.

If you think America is any better in that regard...you will have a rude awakening.