Islamisk Trossamfund

The Islamic Society in Denmark ( _da. Islamisk Trossamfund) is a Muslim religious organisation in Denmark led by Ahmad Abu Laban, which has played a significant role in bringing international Muslim attention to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy, distributing a 43-page dossier, in order to raise inform the Middle-East about the cartoons.

The organization claims that all Muslims in Denmark are members, regardless of whether or not they have declared themselves as members. [da iconcite news|date=2005-06-13|title=Vil isolere imamer i den politiske debat|url=http://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/article.jhtml?articleID=258671|publisher=Danmarks Radio] (as of 2005, there are about 180,000 Muslims in Denmark). The organisation arranges weekly prayers on Fridays, which are regularly attended by over 500 people.

Ahmad Abu Laban was a persona non grata in the United Arab Emirates and Egypt [da iconcite news|date=2006-02-01|title=Abu Laban taler med to tunger|url=http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Politik/2006/02/01/115700.htm|publisher=Danmarks Radio] because of his Islamist views. Abu Laban died on February 1, 2007, aged 60. [da iconcite news|date=2007-02-01|title=Abu Laban has died|url=http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Indland/2007/02/01/215852.htm]

Laban's likely successor, Mostafa Chendid, has raised considerable public controversy in Denmark due to his belief that Muslim and non-Muslim women alike should wear a veil, also claiming about five to ten percent of all men cannot control themselves when faced with unveiled women. He also stresses that the veil serves as a signal that women are "not for sale", and that it protects them against rape.http://www.weekendavisen.dk/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070323/SAMFUND/103230136 Den nye sheikh på Dortheavej] , Interview with Mostafa Chendid, Weekendavisen, April 16, 2007 (Danish)]

External links

* [http://www.wakf.com/ Official homepage of Islamisk Trossamfund] in Danish and Arabic

References