An objection to veiling, religious symbols and the presence of an Islamist veiled host in Denmark’s television channel
Denmark’s television channel called Channel #1, hired Asma Abdolhamid as a new host for the channel’s T.V shows. Asma Abdolhamid is the first host in the history of Denmark’s television to be covered in a veil. Moreover, Asma Abdolhamid was the leader of the 21 Islamic groups that organized demonstrations and protests opposing the newspaper posting of Mohammed’s cartoon. Nevertheless Asma Abdolhamid is the spokes person for the 21 Islamic groups and she exhibits herself with a veil in the T.V program. Nahid Ryazi the secretary of the Organization for the Immigrated Women and from the Organization for the Emancipation of Women in Iran rejected and opposed the decisions of Denmark’s Channel #1 management. Furthermore, Nahid Ryazi declared that the TV show hosts should not under any condition wear any religious symbols such as cross, hat or veil. In addition, she stated that the TV shows should not be hosted by any Islamist or Nazist activists. This opposing act of Nahid Ryaz was broadcasted extensively by the media which created challenging discussions in different publications, political parties, and social assemblies on the subject of accepting or rejecting veiled hosts on TV shows. It should also be noted that many other different women organizations have also objected to this TV channel’s decision. Nevertheless, Asma Abdolhamid has caused many rejections to invitations of the show by refusing to shake hands with men on the program; these guests included a well known Danish member of the parliament. Furthermore, organized objection to this TV channel has increasingly become an obstacle to the management of the program. The Management of the channel as well as Asma Abdolhamid, claimed that having veiled women as a host was done as a form of reconciliation with Islamists after the publication of Mohammed’s cartoon in Posten publication. This however can be interpreted to mean that with this act, Danish television wants to illustrate the special position of the Islamist.
Danish government, political groups and the media, hypocritically claim that the Middle Eastern people are supportive of the Islamic groups.
These three groups would like to give tribunes to the Islamic groups under the name of immigrant Muslims who are supposed to be “representatives” of all Middle Eastern people. This is the first time that the media has trampled secularist policies of the public media by displaying such a religious symbol in their show. Nevertheless, this can only deepen the religious based gap between people. Moreover, public media has to be free of any form of dependency on religion, and nationality. The hosts of the TV shows should not be allowed to display their religious, or national dependency on public media, they must be prohibited. The Association in Defense of Immigrant Women are collecting signature in an objection to the Denmark media.
The address below is provided for those who would like to join this action.
