In  1978-9 I was living and studying in Denmark . But in 1978 - even 

in   Copenhagen, one didn't  see Muslim immigrants.

 

The Danish population  embraced visitors, celebrated the exotic, went  

out of  its way to protect each of its citizens. It was proud of its 

new  brand of socialist  liberalism one in development since the

conservatives  had  lost power in 1929 - a  system where no worker had

to struggle to survive,  where one ultimately could  count upon the

state as in, perhaps, no other   western nation at the  time.

The rest of Europe saw the  Scandinavians as free-thinking,

progressive   and  infinitely generous in their welfare policies.

 

Denmark boasted low crime  rates, devotion to the  environment, a

superior educational system and a  history of  humanitarianism.

Denmark was also most  generous in its immigration policies - it  

offered the best welcome in  Europe to the new immigrant: generous

welfare   payments from first arrival  plus additional perks in

transportation, housing   and  education. It was determined to set a

world example for  inclusiveness and  multiculturalism.

 

How could it have predicted that one day in 2005 a series of

political   cartoons in a newspaper  would spark violence that would

leave dozens dead  in the streets -all  because its commitment to

multiculturalism would come  back to bite?

By  the 1990's the growing urban Muslim population was obvious -  and 

its unwillingness to  integrate into Danish society was obvious.

Years of immigrants had  settled into Muslim-exclusive enclaves. As

the   Muslim  leadership became more vocal about what they considered

the  decadence  of Denmark 's liberal way of  life, the Danes - once so

welcoming - began to  feel slighted. Many Danes  had begun to see Islam

as incompatible with  their  long-standing values: belief  in personal

liberty and free speech, in equality for  women, in tolerance for other

ethnic groups, and a deep  pride in Danish heritage and  history.

 

An article by Daniel Pipes  and Lars  Hedegaard, in which they 

forecasted accurately that the growing immigrant problem in Denmark

would  explode. In the article they reported:

'Muslim  immigrants.constitute 5 percent of the population but consume 

upwards of 40 percent of the  welfare spending..'

 

'Muslims are only 4 percent  of Denmark's 5..4 million people but make 

up a majority of the  country's convicted rapists, an especially

combustible issue given that  practically all the female victims are 

non-Muslim..  Similar, if lesser, disproportions are found in other 

crimes.'

'Over time, as Muslim  immigrants increase in numbers, they wish less  

to mix  with the indigenous population.

A recent survey  finds that only 5 percent of young Muslim immigrants 

would readily marry a  Dane.'

 

'Forced marriages -  promising a newborn daughter in Denmark to a male 

cousin in the home country,  then compelling her to marry him, sometimes

on  pain of death - are one  problem'

'Muslim leaders openly  declare their goal of introducing Islamic law 

once Denmark 's Muslim  population grows large enough - a

not-that-remote  prospect. If present trends persist, one sociologist 

estimates, every third  inhabitant of Denmark in 40 years will be Muslim.'

It  is easy to understand why a growing number of Danes would feel  that

Muslim immigrants show  little respect for Danish values and laws.

 

An  example is the phenomenon common to other European countries  and 

Canada .: some Muslims in  Denmark who opted to leave the Muslim faith

have   been  murdered in the name of Islam, while others hide in fear

for their lives. Jews are also  threatened and harassed openly by Muslim

leaders  in  Denmark , a country where once Christian citizens worked to

smuggle  out nearly all of their 7,000  Jews by night to Sweden - before

the Nazis could  invade.   I think of my Danish  friend Elsa - who as a

teenager had dreaded   crossing the street to the  bakery every morning

under the eyes of occupying   Nazi  soldiers - and I wonder what she

would say today.

 

In  2001, Denmark elected the most conservative government in some  70 

years - one that had some  decidedly non-generous ideas about liberal  

unfettered immigration.  Today Denmark has the strictest immigration 

policies  in Europe . ( Its effort to  protect itself has been met with

accusations of 'racism' by liberal media  across Europe - even as

other governments  struggle  to right the social problems  wrought by

years of too-lax immigration.)

 

If  you wish to become Danish, you must attend three years of  language 

classes. You must pass a  test on Denmark 's history, culture, and a

Danish   language  test.  You must live in Denmark for  7 years before

applying for citizenship. You must  demonstrate an intent to work, and

have a job waiting. If you  wish  to bring a spouse into  Denmark , you

must both be over 24 years of age,  and  you won't find it so easy 

anymore to move your friends and family to Denmark with  you.

You will not be allowed to  build a mosque in Copenhagen . Although

your   children have a choice of  some 30 Arabic culture and language

schools  in  Denmark , they will be strongly encouraged to assimilate

to Danish  society in ways that past immigrants  weren't.

 

In  2006, the Danish minister for employment, Claus Hjort  Frederiksen,

spoke publicly of the burden of Muslim immigrants on the Danish welfare

system, and it was  horrifying: the government's welfare committee had

calculated that if  immigration from Third World countries were

blocked, 75  percent of the cuts needed  to sustain the huge welfare

system in coming  decades would be  unnecessary. In other words, the

welfare system as  it existed was being exploited  by immigrants to the

point of eventually bankrupting the government.  'We are simply forced

to adopt a new policy on immigration.   The calculations  of the

welfare committee are terrifying and show how unsuccessful the

integration of immigrants has been up to now,' he said.

 

A  large thorn in the side of Denmark's imams is the Minister  of 

Immigration and Integration,  Rikke Hvilshoj.. She makes no bones about

the  new policy toward immigration, 'The number of foreigners coming

to  the  country makes a difference,'  Hvilshøj says, 'There is an

inverse correlation between how many come here  and how well we can

receive the foreigners that come.'  And on Muslim immigrants needing

to demonstrate a willingness  to  blend in, 'In my view,  Denmark should

be a country with  room for different cultures  and religions. Some

values, however, are more important than others.  We refuse to question

democracy, equal rights  and freedom of  speech.'

 

Hvilshoj has paid a price  for her show of backbone. Perhaps to test  

her  resolve, the leading radical imam in Denmark , Ahmed Abdel Rahman 

Abu  Laban, demanded that the  government pay blood money to the family

of a  Muslim who was murdered in a  suburb of Copenhagen , stating that

the family's  thirst for revenge could be thwarted for money. When

Hvilshoj dismissed  his  demand, he argued that in  Muslim culture the

payment of retribution money  was common, to which  Hvilshoj replied

that what is done in a Muslim  country  is not necessarily what is  done

in Denmark. The Muslim reply came soon  after:  her house was torched

while she, her husband and children slept.  All  managed to escape

unharmed,  but she and her family were moved to a secret  location and

she and other  ministers were assigned bodyguards for the first time

         in a country where such murderous violence was once so  scarce.

 

Her government has slid to  the right, and her borders have tightened.  

Many  believe that what happens in the next decade will  determine 

whether Denmark survives as  a bastion of good living, humane thinking

and   social  responsibility, or whether it becomes a nation at civil

war  with  supporters of Sharia  law.

 

And meanwhile, Canadians  clamor for stricter immigration policies,

and   demand  an end to state welfare programs that allow many

immigrants to  live  on the public dole.. As we in  this country look at

the enclaves of Muslims amongst  us, and see those who enter our shores

too easily,  dare live on our taxes,  yet  refuse to embrace our

culture, respect our traditions, participate  in our legal  system, obey

our laws, speak our language, appreciate our  history .   We would do

well to look to Denmark , and say a prayer for her future  and  for our 

own........

 

NEVER FORGET THAT: " THE PRICE OF FREEDOM IS ETERNAL VIGILANCE "