Dialogue at all levels
On 13 February 2006, the Prime Minister held a meeting with a network of Muslims in Denmark. The purpose of the meeting was to encourage dialogue with Muslims in Denmark on, among other things, integration
and the current situation.
On 3 February 2006, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs held a meeting with the ambassadors to Denmark, at which they disseminated information about the current situation with regard to the international reactions to the publication of drawings of the Prophet Muhammad in the private newspaper Jyllands-Posten. The Ministers also reported on the Government’s position and measures taken in that matter.
In his New Year speech on 1 January 2006, the Prime Minister condemned any expression, action or indication that attempts to demonise groups of people on the basis of their religion or ethnic background. The Prime Minister stressed that each of us has a special responsibility to exercise freedom of speech in such a way as not to kindle hatred and shatter the sense of fellowship that is one of Denmark’s most characteristic features.
On 28 November 2005, the Minister for Integration held a dialogue meeting with women from the Islamic Religious Community in Denmark, the agenda of which was increased dialogue, bridge-building and integration, with special focus on Muslim women.
On 28 September 2005, the Minister for Integration held a meeting with a number of Islamic religious communities to discuss the religious leisure-time education on the Koran and Islam offered by the religious communities to children and adolescents. The purpose of this was to promote dialogue, integration and equality.
On 20 September 2005, the Prime Minister held a dialogue meeting with a number of Muslim representatives – leaders of associations, politicians and imams. The meeting took its point of departure in last summer’s terrorist bombings in London and other terrorist actions. At the meeting there was general agreement that such extreme actions, committed by radical minority groups, must be condemned and opposed.
On 7 September 2005, the Minister for Integration made a speech at a peace symposium organised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Denmark. The Minister’s speech strongly emphasised religious tolerance
through democratic values.
On 18 April 2005, a dialogue meeting was held between the Minister for Integration and a number of imams at the Department of Cross-Cultural and Regional Studies of the University of Copenhagen. The meeting discussed the role of the imams as mentors capable of underpinning the integration process and democratic values.
Each quarter, the Minister for Integration holds a meeting with the Council for Ethnic Minorities, the purpose of which is to advise the Minister in matters of significance to refugees and immigrants. The 14 members of the Council are refugees or immigrants. The Council called for a sense of composure in the case of the Muhammad drawings in its press release on 1 February 2006.
During spring 2006, the Minister for Integration will participate in a series of activities designed to bring about dialogue on integration, which will include meeting young people from the ethnic minorities and immigrant women to hear about their experience of integration in practice.
The Minister will also meet representatives of the local authorities and enterprises charged with contributing to the success of integration.