I would like to underline that this blog is generalised and meant as a provocation against some standards (or double standards) there is in the Danish society today regarding religion. I find that despite this blog being focused on Denmark, it is possible to transfer the essens of the blog to any country in the Western world at the moment.
When you have a religious affiliation, you may find it quite difficult getting a chance to share your official opinion without being placed under suspicion. It is for instance difficult being a Muslim, making a stand in the Danish society without being labelled radical and undemocratic in comparison with what is considered Danish values by the majority. This is often evident in the media, where several instances of public stances from people who are well-integrated in Denmark and call themselves Danish, still are being told to “go home to their own country”. However, it is my personal experience that it is not only Islam that is in line of sight regarding demeaning comments on religious worldviews. Because, in Denmark it seems to be “un-Danish” and “undemocratic” to have a religious affiliation. Furthermore, if someone dares to say something about it in public, other’s pull out the “religion is a private thing” card. As if you can express your opinions if they are connected to something the majority of the Danish people find “normal”. However, do you base your values within a Christian framework – or any religion what so ever – you have to keep it to yourself.
At the moment, Muslims are in the middle of the eye of the hurricane because radicalisation is the focus of attention – especially how to stop a radicalisation process. There is a sudden major focus on what Muslims actually think about different subjects. Within the Danes perspective, focus often become more on how to change what Muslims opinions are to be more alike Danish values and democracy in stead of accepting differences of opinions and the freedom of religion and freedom of speech we actually have. Moreover, maybe it is time to realise that the Muslim faith do not have to be so far from democratic values?
In the media Muslims are often displayed as “those people”, “the radical” and in relation to terror. However, maybe instead of pointing towards one minority as the villain, we should discuss an underlying problem that smoulders beyond the surface. Maybe we should talk about the sudden lack of respect for the different, and, in most Danes perspectives, radical worldview which involves an opposite view of the world compared to the Danish values. Maybe we should discuss how many believers more or less intentional oppress what they in reality thinks, because of the fear of being scolded by the majority. Maybe we should leave the utopia that everyone has “freedom of speech” and the idea of Denmark as a manifold society. Instead we should realise that “Danish values” and “democracy” has become the elements of a new religion. The nationalistic imagination of the Dane, who sees religion as a private thing and which shall be abolished when religious people attempts to become accepted as the human being they are by actually share their scopes of opinions. Maybe it’s time to realise that when you fight for freedom of speech, it is naturally that manifold of opinions and religious worldviews radically different than the view of the world that does not necessarily fits with the majority’s image.
Because in the end one question is left: Is it really that bad to have be radically different worldview than most Danes? If a minority of the Danish citizens does not support war, violence, destruction and antidemocratic actions, but still have a worldview radically different from what seems to be the norm, why should this be suppressed? They aren’t doing anything to us. Because we do live in a free country, right?
Når man har et religiøst tilhørsforhold, kan det være ret svært at have en officiel holdning i Danmark. Det kan for eksempel være svært for en muslim at give udtryk for deres egne holdninger uden at få bemærkninger med, om at være radikal og udemokratiske ift de danske værdier. Dette ses ofte i medierne hvor der er flere tilfælde af velintegrerede mennesker i Danmark, som med god ret kan kalde sig selv danskere, men som stadig får kommentarer så som “Gå hjem til dit eget land”. Det er dog min personlige oplevelse at det ikke kun er islam der er i skudlinje, hvad angår nedværdigende kommentarer mod religiøse verdensbilleder. For i Danmark synes mærkaterne “udansk” og “udemokratisk” at blive tildelt ligeså snart man grunder sit liv, sit verdensbillede og dermed sine holdninger til en religion. Hvis man har en holdning der bunder i værdier der kommer fra en religion og hvis man giver udtryk for det i det offentlige, trækker størstedelen af danskerne ofte kortet “religion er en privatsag”. Som om, man gerne må give udtryk for ens holdninger hvis de er bundet i det der bliver anset for at være “normalt” hos størstedelen af befolkningen. Men bunder du dine værdier i et kristne værdisæt skal du holde det for dig selv.
Muslimer er lige i øjeblikket i orkanens øje fordi vi i Danmark taler meget om radikalisering. Der er et stort fokus på hvordan radikalisering kan stoppes. En nødvendig tanke, men dette fokus forårsager ofte et større fokus på, hvad muslimer egentlig mener. Fokus bliver somme tider, hvordan vi kan ændre det de mener til at hænge mere sammen med danske værdier og demokratiet, i stedet for at acceptere forskellige holdninger og den religionsfrihed og ytringsfrihed vi faktisk siger vi har.
I medierne taler vi om “de der muslimer”, vi taler om “de radikale” og terror som om det er tre sider af samme sag. Men måske burde vi tale om et dybere liggende problem som ligger og ulmer under overfladen. Måske skulle vi tale om den manglende respekt for anderledes, og i de fleste danskeres øjne, radikale verdensbilleder der mener noget i modsætning til det, der uudtalt defineres som danske værdier. Måske skulle vi tale om, hvordan mange tronede eller religiøse mere eller mindre ubevidst undertrykker, hvad de i virkeligheden mener, fordi majoriteten ville overfuse disse holdninger, hvis man gav udtryk for dem. Måske skulle vi i Danmark forlade utopien om, at alle har ‘ytringsfrihed’ og ideen om at vi er et mangfoldigt samfund og istedet se i øjnene, at ‘danske værdier’ og ‘demokrati’ er blevet følge-ord for en ‘ny religion’ i Danmark – den nationalistiske forestilling om danskeren, hvor religion bliver anset for at være en privat sag og skal overfuses og nedlægges i ethvert forsøg for det religiøse menneske at blive accepteret for det menneske det nu engang er og ikke blot for den maske denne tager på i hverdagen. Måske skulle I danskere til at acceptere at med kampen for ytringsfrihed, vil der komme radikalt anderledes verdensbilleder frem som ikke nødvendigvis altid stemmer overens med det verdensbillede I forbinder ytringsfriheden med.
For i sidste ende står spørgsmålet tilbage: Er det virkelig så slemt at være radikalt anderledes end det de fleste danskere synes at stå for? Hvis en minoritet af den danske befolkning ikke nødvendigvis går ind for krig, vold, ødelæggelse og antidemokratiske handlinger, men stadig har et verdensbillede som er radikalt i forhold til det almene verdensbillede, hvorfor skal dette så bekæmpes? De gør os jo ikke noget? Lever vi ikke i et frit land?
