Alarm raised as Danish Govt plans to monitor foreign language sermons
Alarm raised as Danish Govt plans to monitor foreign language sermons
8 Feb 2021
Jacob Bøtter
Church leaders in Denmark have voiced concern over a draft law which would require all foreign language sermons to be translated and submitted to the Danish Government for inspection.
The Government claims the law is to create ‘greater openness’ and curb Islamic extremism, but a number of Christian denominations have warned that it poses a threat to religious freedom.
The Danish parliament, the Folketing, is set to debate the ‘Law on Sermons in Languages other than Danish’, in February.
The Nyhavn canal, part of the Copenhagen, Denmark, Harbor and home to many bars and restaurants, is seen in this August 11, 2008 file photo. | Reuters/Teis Hald Jensen/Files
Christian leaders in Denmark fear that a draft law aimed at monitoring the growth of Islamic extremism would restrict their religious freedom because it would require all sermons to be translated and submitted to the government.
The Danish government says the proposed law, which is scheduled to be reviewed this month in parliament, is required to curb Islamic extremism because imams in mosques deliver their sermons in Arabic, not Danish, according to La Croix International.
Denmark will ask all faith groups to translate sermons into Danish language Written by CHVN Monday, Jan 18 2021, 5:00 AM a href https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Onion dome on church in Andst, Denmark.jpg JEK /a , a href https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 CC BY-SA 4.0 /a , via Wikimedia Commons
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A draft law expected to be discussed in February could ask all religious groups in Denmark to have a Danish version of the sermons and messages delivered in their faith communities, and that has Christian groups concerned.
The government of Social Democrat Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had promised to better control radical Islamist groups in the country whose teachings clash with the democratic values of the country. Over 270,000 Muslims live in Denmark and most of the sermons preached in mosques are in Arabic.