Originally posted at Figmentsofimaginations.blogspot.dk, April 8th 2016.
These days the Danish government is yet again making cutbacks regarding radicalised young people. The reason why it is yet again a part of the media as well as a part of the Government’s awareness is due to a resent police response the Danish Security and Intelligence Service made where some young people were arrested and charged within the so-called ‘Danish terror-paragraph’.
It is rather common that radicalisation in a context such as this makes the media overflow with articles that hints fear and begins a sense of hostility among the Danish people. I must admit that the anger regarding the rather one-sided cover of the so-called “muslim radical” which makes it seem that all muslims are radical may overflow my judgement and make my arguments in this respect rather generalised. However, the medias eternal cover of radicalisation in more or less direct connection with Islam and muslims. It makes me so furious that it is the action of a few people that may have an affect of how the Danish people regard the rest of the Danes who confess to Islam and are actually well integrated and participate in the Danish society and pay their taxes.
On one hand, I understand that it’s within the government’s interest to show the Danish people that it takes action against possible terror-threats. In a time like these where Europe seem more of a terror-target than ever, it would on one hand seem ‘too laid-back’ if the government did not react. On the other hand, I find the reaction more a overreaction than a reaction to possible threats. The fact that the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) actually manages to do the job they exists to do, makes me wonder why we need another government “over”-reaction. PET have done a rather good job in the prevention of terror in Denmark – a thing that is rather difficult to prevent. I believe that the only reaction government intervention will create is that the media attention will yet again make muslims the villains and it will create even more hostility among the Danish people. Thus, the growing hostility will result in a Danish people who will to a lesser degree help the war-inflicted people, who really need our help. For instance, I argue that the demand for a complete closure of our borders is a reaction to the growing hostility that is in Denmark. Thus, we will shut out people who have experienced trauma, war and terror in ways we will never be able to understand.
If the government instead let the authorities they have implemented work the way they are ment to, I would respect the government if they react in a rather respectful way towards this Danish system. It would possibly create more peace and instead of letting the fear cloud the judgement of the Danish people. It might make room for more compassion.
Even though, many Danish people have worked against the Danish government’s view of the refugees who have more than ever escaped to Europe, the fact that a refugee-hostile party as the Danish People Party who have gained more support than ever shows me that there is a great deal of fear and hostility that needs to be dealt with in Denmark.
We keep saying to each other that fear and a limitation of our everyday life is what terror wants to create. Even though we keep telling ourselves and each other that it’s important to live life as we would and not be affected by the terror. Maybe, terror is slowly creeping into our conscience and have slowly affected the way we think about the world and the way we react towards people who truly needs our help. Or the way we react towards the diversity that obviously exists in our society.
Showing compassion and helping other are indeed a more difficult road towards destroying terror and what it creates among the people affected by it. But I believe that the long and difficult road is the better road to take than fighting with the same means and tools as the “enemy” does. Have we, the rich part of the world forgotten that our previous actions hostile and mean actions may have had a role in creating the anger, hostility and the “us” and “them”-mentality that terror springs from? Maybe it is time to react differently than we usually have done since a war on terror obviously haven’t worked?
