Sikandar Siddique: Muslims and minorities are responsible for another electoral loss

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Skander Siddique, leader of the Free Green Party and the party's representative in the Copenhagen City Council, wrote an opinion piece about minorities, Muslims, and the Danish general elections, addressing what he called the reasons for the losses suffered by Muslims and minorities in the elections. The article was published yesterday in the Danish newspaper Altinget.

Sikandar Siddique: Muslims and minorities are responsible for another electoral loss

The votes of minority groups are used as an electoral reservoir for parties ranging from the Moderates and Radical Feneri to the Socialist People's Party (SF), the Unity List, and the Alternative. As a result, these votes are distributed among parties that do not adhere to their positions when crucial issues are at stake, as Sikandar Siddiq writes.

Many have dubbed the recent parliamentary elections the "pig elections" due to the intense focus on Denmark's status as a major pork producer and the far-reaching consequences this has on nature, the environment, drinking water, and public health. It certainly makes sense to curb the country's massive pig production.

Had I run for parliamentary elections—an opportunity available to everyone, whether they live in Herlev or Nørrebro—it wouldn't have taken long for the Danish People's Party, Lars Børge, and other far-right figures to link the "pig elections" to what they call a capitulation to Muslims, who, like Jews, don't eat pork. But, as far as I know, this time the issue wasn't connected to Muslims.

"Brown Denmark" has lost the election decisively.

Instead, we witnessed the usual race to the bottom, with parties competing to present the most extreme and targeted proposals against Muslims, even seeking to restrict or deport them. The Danish People's Party, for example, proposed deportation or "reverse migration." It's no longer just about making Danish citizenship virtually impossible; the discussion now extends to the possibility of revoking citizenship and deporting people born and raised in the country.

The politics of hatred have reached a point of complete moral collapse, with the descent into inhumanity accelerating. The truth is, the issue is no longer about "foreigners," but specifically about Danish Muslims; people who live here, work here, and contribute to society.

We may soon see Samira Nawa appointed as the first minister with a Muslim background, an undoubtedly important symbolic step. But on a policy level, "Black Denmark" clearly lost the election.

No signs of change

Even with a left-wing government in place, there are no signs of real improvement. In my opinion, this is due to two main reasons, in addition to the prevailing political consensus at Christiansborg Palace regarding stricter immigration policies.

Firstly, minority votes are used as electoral fuel for various parties, from the Moderates and Radical Venstre to the Socialist People's Party (SF), the Unity List, and the Alternative. These parties speak eloquently during election campaigns, and politicians stand with solemn faces, speaking of international and humanitarian agreements whenever the Danish People's Party, Fredrik Vad, or Rasmus Stoklund cross the line with their rhetoric.

But they ignore the fact that they don't actually fight for these issues after the elections. These matters aren't even part of the current government formation negotiations. Once the votes are settled, the politicians move on to other issues.

We still don't know what the next government will look like, but one thing is certain: the persecution of Muslims and minorities will continue.

I can confirm that, unfortunately, no real progress will be made for minorities during the current parliamentary session. This is because minority votes are divided among parties that fail to hold their ground when the moment of truth arrives.

Secondly, there is a significant shortcoming on the part of the minorities themselves in engaging in democratic processes. Some listen to the extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir, whose views on humanity overlap with those of the Danish People's Party more than either party admits, and which promotes the idea that devout Muslims should not participate in voting. I categorically reject this ideology because it is harmful to minorities, and to Muslims in particular.

People's reluctance to participate in politics harms all minorities.

The end of the "electoral reservoir" role«

We still don't know what the next government will look like, but what is certain is that the targeting of Muslims and minorities will continue.

My message is that anyone who wants to confront racist policies and the fear of having their citizenship revoked one day should use the period until the next elections to organize themselves much better than they are today.

We, the «new Danes,» represent a large part of society, yet we are constantly losing our ability to influence our lives and our future, and are forced to coexist with the expanding limits of what we are required to endure, with the fears we are supposed to live under, and with worrying future possibilities.

This must stop, and it will stop. The era of us being used as a voting bloc must end. The role of "useful idiots" for extremists must end. And we must stop bowing our heads.

The parliamentary elections are over, and perhaps there will be fewer pigs in Denmark. But if Muslims and other minorities want better conditions, a fundamental change in the way politics is approached is necessary – both by minorities in general and by Muslims in particular.

We in the Free Green Party are still ready.