Latest news with #Ritzau
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Denmark aims to ban veils in schools, varsities
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Thursday her government planned to extend the ban on full-face Islamic veils in public places and apply it to schools and universities as well. She also said she wanted to see an end to prayer rooms at universities but stopped short of calling for a outright ban. "God has to step aside. You have the right to your faith and to practice your religion but democracy takes precedence," she told Danish news agency Ritzau. In August 2018, Denmark banned the wearing full-face Islamic veils like the burqa and niqab in public places, with offenders subject to a fine. Human rights campaigners and religious groups have criticised the ban as discriminatory and as a violation of both freedom of religion and women's freedom of choice. Supporters argue it enables Muslims of immigrant backgrounds to better integrate into Danish society. Frederiksen alleged that prayer rooms at universities could be used for "social control and oppression". She said her government would start talks with universities to have them removed. "It's not a discussion about whether we want them or not," Frederiksen said. "We are actively taking a position that we don't want them because they are used as a mechanism of oppression against girls and potentially boys as well." Frederiksen said she did not know how widespread the phenomenon was. "For me, it's not just the scale that matters. I'm the prime minister of Denmark. I'm also a woman. And I can't tolerate the oppression of women."
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Democracy takes precedence': Denmark moves to extend veil ban to schools, targets prayer rooms in universities
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Thursday announced plans to broaden Denmark's ban on full-face Islamic veils, such as the burqa and niqab, to include schools and universities, saying democracy must come before religious expression in educational spaces. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'You have the right to your faith and to practice your religion, but democracy takes precedence,' Frederiksen was quoted by Danish news agency Ritzau. She added, 'God has to step aside.' Denmark first introduced a public ban on full-face coverings in 2018. However, the law has so far not applied to educational institutions. Frederiksen said this was a gap in legislation that needed to be closed. 'There are gaps in the legislation that allow Muslim social control and oppression of women at educational institutions in Denmark,' she told domestic media, according to Euronews. The prime minister, who also leads the ruling Social Democrats, said her government intends to begin dialogue with universities and schools to extend the veil ban and to remove prayer rooms from campuses. While she did not call for a blanket legal prohibition on such rooms, Frederiksen made her stance clear, 'We are actively taking a position that we don't want them because they are used as a mechanism of oppression against girls and potentially boys as well,' she was quoted as saying by Ritzau. Frederiksen also said that while she did not know how widespread the use of prayer rooms was, her concern was about the principle. 'I'm the prime minister of Denmark. I'm also a woman. And I can't tolerate the oppression of women,' she said. The announcement comes in response to recommendations made by Denmark's Commission for the Forgotten Women's Struggle, which earlier this year urged action on what it called religious social control in public institutions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In 2022, the same body proposed banning hijabs in primary schools, but the measure was ultimately dropped after sparking backlash and protests. The new proposal has drawn criticism from human rights organisations. As per news AFP, groups such as Amnesty International have long opposed Denmark's public veil ban, calling it discriminatory and a violation of women's freedom of expression and religion. 'All women should be free to dress as they please and to wear clothing that expresses their identity or beliefs,' Amnesty International had said in 2018. Frederiksen defended the new measures as necessary to preserve democratic values within education. 'You're welcome to have your religion,' she said, 'but when you're at school, you're there to be at school and take part in your education,' reported Euronews.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- South China Morning Post
Denmark's ban on full-face veils to be extended to schools, universities, PM says
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Thursday her government planned to extend the ban on full-face Islamic veils in public places and apply it to schools and universities as well. She also said she wanted to see an end to prayer rooms at universities but stopped short of calling for an outright ban. 'God has to step aside. You have the right to your faith and to practice your religion, but democracy takes precedence,' she told Danish news agency Ritzau. In August 2018, Denmark banned the wearing of full-face Islamic veils like the burka and niqab in public places, with offenders subject to a fine. Human rights campaigners and religious groups have criticised the ban as discriminatory and as a violation of both freedom of religion and women's freedom of choice. People protest in Copenhagen in 2018, as the new ban on garments covering the face is implemented. Photo: via AP Supporters argue it enables Muslims of immigrant backgrounds to better integrate into Danish society.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. spy agencies told to gather intelligence on Greenland
U.S. officials have ordered spy agencies to ramp up efforts to gather intelligence on Greenland, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter, in a sign President Donald Trump apparently remains focused on acquiring the island. The directive was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. The move has drawn objections from Denmark, a NATO ally which rules the semi-autonomous island. Denmark's foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, has said he will summon the American ambassador over the report. 'It worries me greatly because we do not spy on friends,' Rasmussen said, according to the Ritzau news agency. The Office of the Director of Intelligence sent out a directive last week to intelligence agencies to gather information on Greenland's independence political movement, perceptions about U.S. interest in the island's resources and to identify people who back Washington's goals for the Arctic island, the sources said. The directive came in the form of a 'collection emphasis message, ' which sets priorities for intelligence efforts, the sources said. James Hewitt, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said in an email: 'We don't comment on matters of intelligence. However, the President has been very clear that the U.S. is concerned about the security of Greenland and the Arctic.' The director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, alleged in a statement that government officials were trying to undercut Trump by leaking classified information. 'The Wall Street Journal should be ashamed of aiding deep state actors who seek to undermine the President by politicizing and leaking classified information,' the statement said. 'They are breaking the law and undermining our nation's security and democracy. Those who leak classified information will be found and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.' Gabbard added: 'I have referred three illegal leaks to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution, and we are investigating nearly a dozen more.' It was unclear why the administration was turning to espionage to glean information on a U.S. ally that could likely be obtained by diplomats or open-source research, said Marc Polymeropoulos, a former career CIA officer. 'This seems to be something that could be handled by diplomatic and State Department channels,' he said. 'Why would you waste precious intelligence resources on this?' In an interview last weekend with NBC News' Kristen Welker, Trump refused to rule out seizing the territory by force. 'I don't say I'm going to do it, but I don't rule out anything,' Trump said. 'We need Greenland very badly. Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we'll take care of, and we'll cherish them, and all of that. But we need that for international security.' In a speech to a joint session of Congress in March, Trump said: 'One way or the other, we're going to get it.' A January poll commissioned by the Danish newspaper Berlingske and Greenlandic daily Sermitsiaq showed 85% of Greenlanders do not want their island to become a part of the United States. The U.S. military has a base in northwestern Greenland, which is part of a ballistic missile early-warning system. Greenland has taken on increasing strategic importance as global warming has sparked a competition in the Arctic among the world's powers. And Greenland's rare earth minerals, uranium and iron are of increasing global interest as climate change could make those natural resources more accessible. This article was originally published on
NBC News
09-05-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
U.S. spy agencies told to gather intelligence on Greenland
U.S. officials have ordered spy agencies to ramp up efforts to gather intelligence on Greenland, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter, in a sign President Donald Trump apparently remains focused on acquiring the island. The directive was first reported by The W all Street Journal. The move has drawn objections from Denmark, a NATO ally which rules the semi-autonomous island. Denmark's foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, has said he will summon the American ambassador over the report. 'It worries me greatly because we do not spy on friends,' Rasmussen said, according to the Ritzau news agency. The Office of the Director of Intelligence sent out a directive last week to intelligence agencies to gather information on Greenland's independence political movement, perceptions about U.S. interest in the island's resources and to identify people who back Washington's goals for the Arctic island, the sources said. The directive came in the form of a 'collection emphasis message, ' which sets priorities for intelligence efforts, the sources said. James Hewitt, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said in an email: 'We don't comment on matters of intelligence. However, the President has been very clear that the U.S. is concerned about the security of Greenland and the Arctic.' The director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, alleged in a statement that government officials were trying to undercut Trump by leaking classified information. 'The Wall Street Journal should be ashamed of aiding deep state actors who seek to undermine the President by politicizing and leaking classified information,' the statement said. 'They are breaking the law and undermining our nation's security and democracy. Those who leak classified information will be found and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.' Gabbard added: 'I have referred three illegal leaks to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution, and we are investigating nearly a dozen more.' It was unclear why the administration was turning to espionage to glean information on a U.S. ally that could likely be obtained by diplomats or open-source research, said Marc Polymeropoulos, a former career CIA officer. 'This seems to be something that could be handled by diplomatic and State Department channels,' he said. 'Why would you waste precious intelligence resources on this?' In an interview last weekend with NBC News' Kristen Welker, Trump refused to rule out seizing the territory by force. 'I don't say I'm going to do it, but I don't rule out anything,' Trump said. 'We need Greenland very badly. Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we'll take care of, and we'll cherish them, and all of that. But we need that for international security.' In a speech to a joint session of Congress in March, Trump said: 'One way or the other, we're going to get it.' A January poll commissioned by the Danish newspaper Berlingske and Greenlandic daily Sermitsiaq showed 85% of Greenlanders do not want their island to become a part of the United States. The U.S. military has a base in northwestern Greenland, which is part of a ballistic missile early-warning system. Greenland has taken on increasing strategic importance as global warming has sparked a competition in the Arctic among the world's powers. And Greenland's rare earth minerals, uranium and iron are of increasing global interest as climate change could make those natural resources more accessible.
