Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, is pushing to broaden the country’s ban on full-face Islamic veils, now aiming to include schools and universities.
She argues it’s a move to boost integration and champion women’s rights. Since 2018, wearing burqas and niqabs in public spaces has already been illegal, with fines for violators. Now, Frederiksen’s eyeing educational institutions for the next phase of restrictions.
But that’s not all—she also wants prayer rooms removed from universities, claiming they foster “social control and oppression.” In a bold statement to news outlet Ritzau, Frederiksen declared, “God must step aside—democracy comes first.”
The government will soon meet with universities to press for the closures. “We’re taking an intentional stand—we simply don’t want these spaces,” she said.
For Frederiksen, it’s a deeply personal mission: “As Denmark’s prime minister and as a woman, I refuse to tolerate the oppression of women,” she emphasized.
The existing veil ban has faced backlash from human rights advocates and religious organizations, who argue it infringes on religious freedom. On the flip side, supporters believe it helps integrate Muslim women into Danish society and shields them from coercion.
