COPENHAGEN — Denmark’s immigration minister, who last year celebrated the country’s increasingly strict entry laws by posting a Facebook picture of herself with a cake, has suggested that Muslims fasting for Ramadan should stay home from work “to avoid negative consequences for the rest of Danish society.”The minister, Inger Stojberg, made the remarks in a newspaper column on Monday in which she called adherence to the religious practice “a danger to all of us.”The monthlong Ramadan holiday, which began last week, involves daily fasting from dawn to dusk, a period that in Denmark lasts up to 18 hours a day during the spring and summer. Ms. Stojberg pointed in particular to bus drivers and people working in hospitals. Her comments prompted criticism from Muslims and immigration advocates. “This is a minister who is supposed to strengthen integration and strengthen social cohesion between population groups,” said Natasha Al-Hariri, an integration consultant who holds a law degree and is Muslim. “But she’s doing the opposite: She’s stirring up a debate based on no figures, no statistics and no anecdotes.”

Source: New York Times May 22, 2018 17:15 UTC