Parliamentary candidate Rabie Azd-Ahmed is facing a political and media attack because of an election video in Arabic.
Parliamentary candidate Rabih Azad-Ahmad of the Radikale Venstre party (a left-wing red party) is facing a wave of attacks after he posted a video in Arabic in which he addressed issues related to immigration and the withdrawal of citizenships, as part of his election campaign in East Jutland.
The politician Rabi Azd-Ahmed is a candidate for the Radikale Venstre party in the Østjylland constituency, which comprises Aarhus, Odder, Skanderborg, Horsens, Randers Favrskov, Norddjurs, Syddjurs, Hedensted, Samsø.
According to Danish media coverage, including reports in outlets such as TV2 Østjylland and local political discussions, the video has gone viral, prompting a number of politicians to criticize it, both for its content and for the use of Arabic in political discourse directed at voters.
Although the video – according to the candidate’s supporters – was intended to educate a segment of voters about their legal rights, it turned into a focus of widespread political and media controversy, given the sensitivity of topics such as immigration, citizenship revocation, and the role of political discourse directed at minorities.
Video content and reactions
The video addressed the issue of withdrawing Danish citizenship, a sensitive topic in local political debate, as the candidate – according to what was circulated – sought to educate voters about their legal rights in this context.
Criticism from politicians and Støjberg's entry into the fray
However, the attack on politician Rabi Azd-Ahmed escalated further after his response to criticism directed at him by right-wing politician Inger Støjberg, leader of the Denmark Democrats (a right-wing blue party), a prominent political figure known for her hardline stances on immigration and integration issues. She stated that “the majority of foreigners, especially Iraqis, live on pensions or social assistance.” Rabi Azd-Ahmed described politician Inger Støjberg as “shameless,” reminding her that she was among those who voted in favor of the war on Iraq, considering that this war contributed to the waves of refugees and the resulting psychological and social effects on refugees, which affected their ability to work later.
Following the release of the video, Rabi Azd-Ahmed was also subjected to criticism and attacks from former right-wing politician Naser Khader, who had previously expressed on various occasions offensive positions towards immigrants, refugees, and everything related to Islam and Muslims in Denmark, and more recently towards speeches delivered in non-Danish languages in the political context.
A wider debate about language and political discourse
This controversy goes beyond the candidate himself, as it reflects a broader debate within Denmark about the use of non-Danish languages in election campaigns, and the extent to which this affects democratic transparency and the delivery of political messages to the general electorate, despite the absence of laws or rules prohibiting the use of non-Danish languages in election campaigns.
Conversely, supporters argue that addressing voters in their native languages may enhance political participation and increase the integration of minorities into democratic life, especially in a diverse society like Danish society.
