COPENHAGEN: A spokeswoman for Denmark’s government says remarks by the country’s hardliner immigration minister that some working Muslims pose a safety hazard because of dawn-to-dusk fasting during Ramadan do not represent the views of the ruling coalition.
Integration Minister Inger Stoejberg drew criticism Monday after she urged Muslims to take leave from work during Ramadan “to avoid negative consequences for the rest of Danish society.” She cited bus drivers as an example of workers whose performance could be affected by foregoing food and drink during daylight hours of the holy month.
Karen Ellemann, chief whip of the Liberal Party, said Tuesday that Stoejberg’s remarks were not a formal proposal to change the law. Ellemann added that Stoejberg, also a member of the Liberal Party, “had the right to start this debate.”