The Minister for Immigration and Integration, Kaare Dybvad Bek, has criticized Hvidovre Municipality for denying the Church of Denmark permission to hold a Pentecost service at Kulturhus Risbjerggaard, while allowing a Muslim association to host a Ramadan celebration with prayer calls and Quran recitation. The minister called the situation “unfortunate” and discriminatory towards the Danish Church.

The controversy arose after the municipality initially rejected the church’s request, citing rules against lending premises for “worship and religious acts.” However, a Ramadan celebration with religious elements was permitted.

Dybvad Bek stated that the Church of Denmark holds a special position in Denmark according to the Constitution, and the municipality’s actions are a misunderstanding of Danish societal values. He questioned the municipality’s decision-making process, particularly in light of the Ramadan event including calls to prayer.

Hvidovre Municipality has since apologized for the events surrounding the Ramadan celebration, stating they were unaware of the prayer calls. However, Dybvad Bek maintains that the two events are comparable.

The minister has also criticized Hvidovre’s mayor, Anders Wolf Andresen, for his involvement in the initial rejection of the church service. Dybvad Bek believes the mayor should take responsibility and provide direction on the values the community should uphold, rather than hiding behind administrative errors.

In response, Mayor Andresen dismissed the minister’s criticism as “a joke” and “pure nonsense.” He asserted that the administration made a mistake in allowing the Ramadan event and accused the Social Democrats of trying to portray a human error as discrimination against Christians.

Andresen pointed out that a similar event took place last year with the participation of a Social Democrat and questions the minister’s consistency. He suggested Dybvad Bek should address similar situations within his own party before criticizing the municipality.