The Interior and for Social Affairs Ministry’s electoral board has allowed for the establishment of a new Islamic political party in Denmark, reports TV2 News.
According to its founder, Ras Anbessa, Danmarks Muslimer will seek to recruit a majority of Muslims to gain more influence in Danish politics.
‘Danish society is characterized by the fact that Muslims must not turn out as a group to vote. But we are continually identified as a separate group, so we might as well stand together and work on creating some positive initiatives, said Anbessa.
He said that it was especially the most vulnerable groups in society to whom the party will try to reach out.
‘We have to go in and identify the people we believe are in the worst situations and come up with some serious and effective means to solve their problems,’ said Anbessa.
He identified the homeless, disabled, young people, elderly and the nation’s integration policies as being the new party’s key targets.
But the party’s name alone may work to its disadvantage, according to Professor Kasper Møller Hansen, political science expert at the University of Copenhagen. He believes it indicates religion as being important for the party – something that won’t win over many non-Muslim Danes.
Although the party was approved by the ministry, it must still obtain the 20,000 signatures necessary to be eligible to be on the ballot for the next election. But Anbessa said the primary objectives of the party – at least for now – are not about getting into parliament.
‘One thing we’ll do is knock on the doors of opposition party members and ask them to more strongly publicise the differences between them and the government parties, because I don’t think people can really see that right now,’ he said.