I am a Muslim medical student involved with interfaith youth work. When I heard of this visit I jumped at the chance of meeting a group of 20 clergymen from Denmark. There were eight Bishops from all corners of the Danish country and one female Bishop from Greenland. | "Muslims in Denmark can know there has been a serious investment of time, money and thought which will kick-start a feeling of being valued not ignored" | | Azam Bata, Guest Contributor |
With such controversy surrounding the publication of the cartoons depicting Prophet Mohamed as a terrorist, and the violent backlash from some Muslims around the world, I was keen to find out these Christian leaders thoughts and what they hoped to learn from Leicester. Listen to Azam's interview with the Danish clergy... I sat opposite a warm friendly Danish Pastor who is part of the Lutheran church which is the main church in Denmark. He is also part of the commission set up by the church to address the widening gap between the general population and the Muslim community. Muslims have settled into Denmark from all parts of the globe and they now make up 6% of the population (2% in UK.) Denmark was struggling to cope with this influx and the cartoon issue brought to the surface the rumblings of discontent felt by many Muslims against the host community as well as the inability of most Danes to relate to Muslims at all. Problem of Multiculturalism This was my chance to get beneath the veneer of news broadcasts and ask why Denmark was such a divided nation. His view was that, "Freedom of speech should be tapered with responsibility". He said, "Muslims felt marginalised and they were being told by politicians that they wanted prosperity without working". They felt isolated, abused, and bitter. They hadn't been made to feel part of the Danish community.
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As a Muslim, I empathised with their loneliness; the Danish pastor himself had a grimace of sympathetic pain on his face. He continued by telling me that Denmark was new to the multicultural scene. They have been a monoculture for so long, and they have their own way of doing things and are finding it hard to bring themselves to move forward with times and live harmoniously with people who aren't the same as them. He also recognised that the Danes were very reserved and had not found it easy to communicate with Muslims. This was what brought him and his fellow pastors to Leicester, considered by many to be the Mecca of Multiculturalism. Interfaith Ministry Training After four hectic days hosted by the St Philips Centre, Evington which specialises in training Christians in interfaith ministry, they were completely overwhelmed by all the projects and ideas that Leicester has about bringing Christians and Muslims together. But as well as the projects it was the friendships they saw as well. This was a unique chance to share openly with others who are further along the road of faith and community co-operation. What encouragement the event must have given and what hope it must inspire. Firstly for those who work in Leicester, and secondly for Muslims around the world who now know they are being taken seriously. Muslims in Denmark can now know there has been a serious investment of time, money and thought which will kick-start a feeling of being valued instead of ignored. Clash of Ignorance Some say that the cartoon issue is yet another manifestation of the 'clash of civilisation' claiming that we are all too different to get along. However, Leicester has tackled leaps and bounds in order to try and understand each other and ultimately overcome what is actually a clash of ignorance. I know the Danish Pastor came to the right place, I hope he takes what he learned, and uses it to face the challenges back home. | 
