Denmark: Us and them

Denmark: Us and them


In the past it was the Russian Jews. Today it's the Muslims, who are exposed to the sharp rhetoric of politicians, shows a thesis.

There are the Danes, and then are the others.  The division by politicians of the country's population into 'them' and 'us' is not new, shows a new study at Copenhagen University.

According to the PHD thesis, "Religion as strangeness in Danish politics" politicians from both sides in parliament portrayed the Russian Jews, who came to the country at the beginning of the 1900s, in as stigmatizing terms as Muslims are described today.

"There are naturally differences between the two religious minority groups.  But both groups experienced being labeled as the absolute opposite to the distinctive 'Danish values' by politicians in debate in parliament.  Either as a threat for Danish economy and workforce and/or as a cultural and national threat," says Brian Arly Jacobsen, who wrote the thesis.
 
He reached his results by comparisons references to Jews in the Rigsdagstidende (report of parliamentary proceedings) from 1903 to 1945 and references to Muslims in the Folketingstidende from 1967 to 2005.

Source: Fyens (Danish)

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