Denmark

As in other Western countries, statistics give a rather imprecise estimate of Muslims living in Denmark. The most reliable and sophisticated study claims the number to be around 190,000 or 3.5 per cent of the total Danish population (Jacobsen 2007). However, while the presence of Muslims in Denmark is demographically small, the establishment of this group of immigrants in particular has stirred a debate over multiculturalism, the role of religion and the consequences of increased migration within the last decade. This chapter gives the historical development of Muslim migration to Denmark and the development of Muslim communities and institutions in the country. Although Denmark has for centuries been in contact with the Muslim world, very few Muslims lived in the country before the late 1960s. The historical account leads to a presentation and analysis of the present politicization of Islam in Danish political life, as exemplified by the cartoon controversy of 2005-6. The chapter ends with a description of how the Danish Muslim communities attempt to handle the present political climate, notably through public displays of “the friendly face of Islam”. In Denmark, as in many other European countries, several academic works on Islam as a migrant religion have appeared within recent years (e.g. Bektovic 2004; Galal and Liengaard 2003; Johansen 2002; Kühle 2006; Schmidt 2002, 2004; Østergaard 2006). Most of these contributions focus on the period from the mid-1990s onwards, when Islam and Muslims became topics of public debate. I go as far back into history as possible to find traces of Danish and Muslim encounters. The chapter also highlights recent trends and developments, within both political life and the Muslim communities, that may prove vital for the future.