Denmark swings right on immigration - and Muslims feel besieged
(The Guardian Denmark)

After a burqa ban, hardline rhetoric has entered the mainstream. In one coastal town, attitudes seem increasingly polarised`It´s a lovely place,` says Jens Kramer, as he gazes across the harbour from his seat outside the wooden shed that serves as Holbæk´s boat club. `But I think people here are becoming more and more hostile to foreigners and I´m not proud of it. It´s not the Holbæk I love.`Kramer is not alone in thinking that the tone of Denmark´s immigration debate has changed. In recent years, the rise of the rightwing anti-migrant Danish People´s party has led to previously radical positions becoming mainstream. And the country´s Muslim population in particular feels under siege. Earlier this month Danish MPs passed a law that, in effect, bans the burqa. It imposes a penalty of 10,000 kroner (£1,200) for repeat offenders. Continue reading...