ELECTIONS IN DENMARK
Muslim Politician Could Be Surprise Kingmaker
By Anna Reimann
Danish politician Naser Khader is young, energetic and the first
Muslim MP in Denmark. As head of the New Alliance he could end up
being the surprise kingmaker in Danish politics if voters throw their
support behind his new ideas for how to treat immigrants.
Danish MP Naser Khader threatens to be the surprise kingmaker in next
week's Danish elections.
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REUTERS
Danish MP Naser Khader threatens to be the surprise kingmaker in next
week's Danish elections.
Naser Khader seems to be everywhere -- shaking hands in pedestrian
malls and strolling through the streets of Danish cities in jeans and
a parka. In the morning, he announces his latest proposals on
immigration policy. In the evening, he takes part in an election
debate with Pia Kjærsgaard, the chairwoman of the right-wing populist
Danish People's Party. There is no doubt about it: The 44-year-old
politician is doing everything he can in the final phase of the Danish
election campaign.
On Tuesday, Nov. 13, the Danes will go to the polls. Prime Minister
Anders Fogh Rasmussen called for new elections just two weeks ago. And
Khader, the chairman of the newly founded "Ny Alliance" (New Alliance)
party, is the shooting star of Danish politics: He's charismatic,
media-savvy, courageous -- and the first immigrant to be elected to
the Danish parliament.
Since 2001, Denmark has been governed by a center-right Liberal/
Conservative coalition under Prime Minister Rasmussen. This coalition
has been supported in parliament by the right-wing populist Danish
People's Party in exchange for implementing key demands, such as
strict policies on immigration. In the most recent opinion polls,
Denmark's two main parties -- the opposition Social Democrats and
Rasmussen's center-right Liberals -- are running neck and neck, each
with roughly 25 percent of the vote.
Surveys show that the New Alliance is poised to garner about 6 percent
of the vote. This could make the party a kingmaker, allowing it to
decide whether the center-right Liberal/Conservative coalition stays
in power or Prime Minister Rasmussen is replaced by a left-wing
alliance. Khader could see to it that the government no longer has to
depend on the support of the right-wing populists.
The race between the two political camps is close, and the established
Danish parties are getting nervous. Partly leaders in the center-right
liberal Venstre party under Rasmussen have been caught off guard by
the newcomers and are asking themselves, with some irritation, whether
the politicians of the New Alliance are more conservative or left-wing.
A Peacemaker During the Cartoon Crisis
Khader first rose to prominence in Danish politics nearly two years
ago. The son of a Syrian woman and a Palestinian man, he witnessed
Denmark weather an international crisis that shook the country down to
its very foundations. When the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten published
caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, radical Muslims felt insulted. In
Islamic countries, Danish flags were burned, embassies were attacked,
and there were calls for boycotts of Danish products. Dozens of people
died in violent demonstrations, especially in Pakistan. The cartoon
artists were forced to go into hiding.
At the time Khader came to stand as a symbol for the successful
integration of Muslims in Denmark. The parliamentarian -- at the time,
a member of Denmark's Social Liberal Party -- went before the cameras
and didn't mince his words. He accused imams living in Denmark of
purposely throwing oil on the fire by urging Arab TV networks to
agitate against Denmark. During the conflict, the young politician,
who had been a member of parliament for five years, acted as an
advisor to Rasmussen's government -- and he called for dialogue.
Khader founded a network called Moderate Muslims, which later changed
its name to the Democratic Muslims.
His involvement in the issue also earned him some enemies. An imam in
Copenhagen railed against both Khader and former Dutch parliamentarian
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, calling them "rats that crawled out of holes."
Following threats from Islamicist and extreme right-wing circles,
Khader has been under police protection ever since.
A New Party for the 'Moderate Muslim'
Last May, he made a brilliant move. Newspapers wrote of a "shockwave"
when Khader turned his back on the Social Liberals and launched the
New Alliance along with another politician who had broken away from
the party, Anders Samuelsen, and Gitte Seeberg from the Conservative
Party.
The message of the three politicians is that the New Alliance is a
centrist party that is not committed to coalitions. The group says
that it remains open and has set its sights on just one opponent --
the right-wing populist Danish People's Party, which has been stirring
things up with its xenophobic policies and has lent its support to
Rasmussen's government. "We are running in this election to break the
power of the Danish People's Party," explains Khader.
Khader's decision to establish the New Alliance was preceded by a bit
of squabbling in his old party. He was especially upset about one
particular fellow party member who appeared in parliament with her
head covered after the right-wing populists compared swastikas with
headscarves. Khader criticized the stunt, saying that it only served
to strengthen the Islamists.
Founding the new party in May was a political coup that sparked an
enormous response from the general population and the media. Prime
Minister Rasmussen said that he personally had great respect for
Khader. He pointed out that Khader had fought tirelessly for freedom
of expression, equality and democracy, even when this entailed
difficulties for him. He welcomed the New Alliance to Danish politics.
There is no doubt that Rasmussen's enthusiasm has waned since then, as
Khader's New Alliance has become an incalculable risk by making a
seemingly endless array of reform proposals that are putting both
Social Democrats and Conservatives under intense pressure.
A New Approach to Immigration
Khader's party is calling for massive tax cuts coupled with
improvements in welfare services. Instead of placing asylum-seekers in
hostels, Khader proposes that they live in the heart of society, where
they should also be allowed to work. He criticizes the anti-foreigner
policies of the Danish People's Party and demands that Denmark meet
its humanitarian responsibilities and offer protection to refugees.
His latest proposal is that Iraqi refugees whose applications for
asylum have been turned down should be allowed to remain in Denmark
for at least two years. And if the situation in Iraq fails to improve,
he would also have them stay longer.
At the same time, Khader would like to see regular immigration linked
to Denmark's economic situation and the requirements of the country's
labor market. His political message could be summed up as "strict but
humane." The party platform holds that successful integration also
depends on the numbers of immigrants who come to Denmark.
The Conservatives are already on the offensive: "Voting for the New
Alliance remains plagued by uncertainty as long as the party has not
decided to support Rasmussen as the future prime minister," says their
party chairman, Bendt Bendtsen. There are also reports that the Social
Democrats have offered Khader a ministerial post in exchange for
finally making a commitment.
But Khader knows that his party plays an important role because it can
tip the scales. He has remained unruffled and said that the prime
minister himself should decide if he wants to continue to prop up his
minority government with support from the right-wing populist Danish
People's Party. Khader says that if Rasmussen were prepared to make
concessions to the New Alliance on important issues -- such as asylum-
seeker policies -- he would be willing to back him as prime minister.
11th Hour Mudslinging
Meanwhile, events outside the world of opinion polls and surveys have
also attracted the Danish public's attention. A heated dispute has
broken out between Khader and the editor-in-chief of the mass
circulation magazine Se og Hør. The glossy weekly published a story
alleging that the politician had paid workmen under the table to work
on his property. Khader denied the allegations and launched a
counteroffensive. Trembling with rage, he repeatedly called the editor-
in-chief a "pig," which is a particularly strong insult in Danish.
"The dream of Naser Khader" was the headline of a story run by the
Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten. The paper speculated over whether the
charismatic Khader is professional and statesmanlike enough to lead
the party and hold a cabinet position.
In just a few days, we will see if Danish voters share his dream.
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