Denmark's Muslims Face Political Opposition To Building of New Mosques

Today's New York Times reports on the political opposition in Denmark to plans by for the building of two grand mosques in Copenhagen. City council has already approved plans for a Shiite mosque, and the smaller Sunni community is also moving ahead with construction plans. However the conservative, anti-immigrant Danish People's Party has been gaining support, and controversy over constructing these mosques may garner it up to 12% of the vote in upcoming municipal elections. Controversy four years ago over the Muhammad cartoons and, more recently, gang wars and shoot-outs involving immigrants, have fed anti-immigrant sentiment. City officials say Muslims have a right to build. The minarets would be slim and there would be no calls to prayer broadcast. However, Martin Henriksen, one of the leaders of the People's Party fears that Iran is involved in the plans to build the Shiite mosque, and insists that immigrants need to show a willingness to "become Danes".