When Muslims outside in the West are asked what comes to their mind when hearing of Denmark, there is a big chance that they will refer to ”the Cartoon Crisis”. An incident that sparked outrage and political turmoil, finally putting Denmark on the world map and into globalization; ahead of famed Danish products like Hans Christian Andersen, Lurpak, and the giant philosopher, Søren Kierkegaard. (Oddly enough, his works are read only in small circles within Denmark, compared to other countries).
After the crisis, after the foreign media forgot all about us and we disappeared to our little andedam, many questions remained unanswered, and many of us were left soul-searching. Maybe it was best they left us alone and let the opportunity for the future PhDs to do all the analysis. However, it’s a shame and a mistake that the world left us alone; because if there is something we can export and be proud of, that would be how to integrate a large Muslim group (2 % of the population out of 5.4 millions) in a Western country.
During the crisis, it became clear that the Muslim population lacked the strong resources and organizations necessary to stand up to the media. Typically, those with strong resources are in the minority, and most of them leave the country as soon they get higher education, eventually settling down in England, Canada, Australia, and elsewhere. Despite that, the Muslims still managed to find spokespersons for their cause, with a few Imams taking the responsibility to speak on behalf of the community. Unfortunately, most of them lacked the understanding of the culture and social structure of their host country, and it did not help matters that the primary spokesperson had not yet mastered the Danish language.
One study showed that 80% of the Danish population has no daily contact with ethnic groups. In face of these challenges of integration, two Muslims sought to prove that you can be a Muslim, be integrated, and still be Danish. Both of these Muslims used different approaches, but ended with the same disappointing results.