Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is announcing new measures targeting religious practices in Danish educational institutions, citing loopholes in legislation that permit Muslim social control and the oppression of women. The proposals include extending the existing covering-up ban to educational settings and advocating for the removal of prayer rooms.

Frederiksen emphasizes that democracy takes precedence over religious practices, stating that while individuals have the right to their beliefs, these beliefs should not infringe upon democratic values. She believes that covering up, specifically the use of the niqab, and the presence of prayer rooms contribute to social control and oppression, particularly against women.

The Prime Minister aims to rectify what she considers a “mistake” in the 2018 covering-up ban, which only applied to public spaces and not educational institutions. She argues that students must be free from religious pressure in education and that prayer rooms can be used as a mechanism of oppression.

Instead of imposing a direct state ban on prayer rooms, Frederiksen plans to engage in dialogue with universities through the ministers for schools and education to ensure their removal. She clarifies that this is not a matter of debate but a firm stance against what she perceives as a tool for oppression.

These initiatives are based on recommendations from the Commission for the Forgotten Women’s Struggle, which highlighted instances of students using the niqab in educational settings. While the extent of the issue is not definitively known, Frederiksen asserts that even isolated cases of oppression are unacceptable. She believes that as Prime Minister and as a woman, she cannot tolerate the oppression of women.

Lars Løkke Rasmussen, whose government initially introduced the covering-up ban in 2018, supports the extension to educational institutions, admitting that the original limitation “doesn’t make any sense.” He also agrees with phasing out prayer rooms through dialogue, emphasizing the need for a wise approach to avoid unintended consequences, such as students praying in inappropriate locations.