A 10-year-old Facebook post prompts DF to demand a Pakistani man be removed from a special list.

Although he had actually met all the criteria for obtaining Danish citizenship, the Danish People's Party (DF) now wants to remove a Pakistani applicant from an upcoming bill that will make 2,055 foreigners Danish citizens in the new year.

The party's spokesperson on citizenship, Mikkel Bjørn, has discovered a 10-year-old Facebook post which, according to Mikkel Bjørn, shows that the Pakistani applicant supported an Islamic execution.

"I do not believe that one can be granted Danish citizenship by the Danish Parliament if one has been an Islamist or generally held the view that lawful expressions should be punished by Islamic execution," says Mikkel Bjørn.

"The government should deprive him of the opportunity to obtain citizenship. If they are not willing to do that, then they must at least be willing for us to meet this man face to face so we can see the evidence."

It was also Mikkel Bjørn who last year urged the government to remove another Pakistani man from a citizenship bill – and at that time, the SVM government ended up doing so (https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/politik/han-opfylder-alle-krav-alligevel-piller-regeringen-ham-af-lovforslag-om-dansk). Now he is once again reviewing the social media of all roughly 2,000 applicants and has so far gotten about halfway through.

"This is the most blatant example we have found, and that is also why we are bringing him up now."

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'A person who insults the prophet must be punished by death'

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It is particularly a Facebook post the applicant shared in 2016 that raises concerns for DF. The post concerns the Pakistani security guard Mumtaz Qadri, who in 2011 killed the governor of Punjab province, Salman Taseer, whom he was employed to protect.

Mumtaz Qadri disagreed with the governor's calls to reform Pakistan's strict blasphemy law. He was sentenced to death for the killing and was subsequently hailed by thousands of sympathizers.

In connection with the execution of Mumtaz Qadri, which took place in 2016, the applicant for Danish citizenship shared a picture on Facebook with a text in Urdu, which DR has had translated:

"The issue is not about Mumtaz Qadri. The question is whether a person who insults the prophet should be punished by death. It is on this point that we support Mumtaz Qadri."

A text that can be interpreted as support for Mumtaz Qadri's killing of the governor for having insulted the Prophet Muhammad. The applicant does not dispute that. But in a written response to DR, he states that he neither today nor back in 2016 shares the view expressed in his own post.

He cannot explain why he then shared the message, but he refers to the fact that his family was going through a very difficult time during that period. And he assures that he does not advocate violence or killing:

"I respect people of all religions, from all backgrounds, and of all genders. I advocate freedom of speech, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence," the applicant writes in English in an email to DR. DR has chosen not to publish the applicant's name out of consideration for his privacy.

He has not wished to grant an interview but adds that the post has now been deleted to avoid misunderstandings. Mikkel Bjørn does not buy that explanation.

"That is a very cheap and easy excuse, which does not reassure me that it would be responsible to grant this man citizenship," he says, maintaining the demand that the man be removed from the bill.

In a similar vein, the Liberal Alliance last week urged in Politiken (https://politiken.dk/danmark/politik/art11016136/Kvinde-st%C3%A5r-til-dansk-statsborgerskab-men-nu-har-LA-udf%C3%B8rt-detektivarbejde) to summon another citizenship applicant for a meeting because she had shared Hamas-related pictures on Facebook.

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'We have removed applicants from the list before, and we can do it again'

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It has not been possible to get an interview with the Minister for Immigration and Integration, Morten Bødskov (S), about the case. His ministry sends a written response:

"It follows from the Constitution that granting Danish citizenship is a matter for the Parliament. The Committee on Citizenship has the opportunity to ask me questions as minister when the bill has been introduced, including questions about individual applicants."

On the other hand, the Social Democrats' spokesperson on citizenship, Katrine Evelyn Jensen, is happy to grant an interview. She will not comment on the specific case but urges both DF and LA to present the cases in the Parliament's Committee on Citizenship.

"I think there are concerning tendencies in both the case DF is presenting and the one LA has presented. But I haven't seen the case presented. That is what I want the parties to do in the Committee on Citizenship, where I think the handling belongs. Not in the media."

It is possible that individual applicants may need to be called for an interview or removed entirely from the citizenship bill before it is passed next year, says the Social Democrats' spokesperson on citizenship, Katrine Evelyn Jensen. (Photo: © Dennis Olsgaard, DR)

"Isn't it a bit embarrassing that it is two opposition parties that have to review these profiles and bring them to your attention?"

"I think it is very good if LA and DF have come across some individuals who…"

"They haven't just come across them – they are systematically reviewing the applicants on the bill?"

"And if they believe that is the right way to carry out parliamentary work, then so be it. As far as I know, all three parties are in complete agreement that we need a screening model when it becomes technically possible."

"But why don't you do it yourselves?"

"We will of course also take a position on the bill when it is presented. That is probably the difference here. It is an old bill that DF and LA are looking at. In due time, I promise that we will also be thorough in our review of all applicants," says Katrine Evelyn Jensen.

In the government party the Moderates, the spokesperson on citizenship, Mohammad Rona, also does not rule out that individual applicants will be removed from the bill. He writes in a text message to DR:

"The Committee on Citizenship can take up the case, and then we can decide whether he should be removed or not. I would like to discuss that with the committee first."

"But let me make it clear that we have removed applicants from the list before, and we can do it again."

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