Hmm - always more to it

Submitted by Lisa (Canada), Feb 8, 2006 at 15:15

Lina,

I don't know how long you have been in Denmark - I can to a certain degree understand how you feel. I too am a foreigner – I live in Canada. When I first came here decades ago Canadians treated me well. Canada is an immigrant country – Denmark is not. The free western world has worked very hard at making better societies.

I find especially being a female has been hard here. Equal rights are very hard to obtain – will we ever get there – I doubt it. The longer I'm here the less I feel like a Canadian. I find the attitude of Canadians have changed, they too have become much harsher towards immigrants. My feeling for both Denmark and Canada is that the populations of both countries are afraid that they are being taken over by very unfamiliar people (they look different, behave different, speak a different language, eat differently, no salami in public schools in Denmark for the Danish children after the Muslims was finished complaining about that) the list goes on and on.

After what I read and have read throughout the years the Danes have done a heck (pardon that expression) of a lot more for the Muslim population than Canada and Canadians have ever done for me. I tell myself I was the one that choose to come here, which Canadians also tell me if I complain. If I don't like it I'm free to leave. I can see their point, wish they too could see mine.

See I'm not really free to leave because I used to be Danish, I'm a Canadian citizen now and as you probably know just as well as I do Danish citizens are not allowed dual citizenship, only Muslims that come from Muslim countries where they cannot renounce their citizenship are able to obtain dual citizenship, some of them are criminals, and there are at least one of them sitting in a jail in Morocco (I think it is).

How do you think I feel? Denmark is NEVER going to allow dual citizenship especially not after this. It does not help to sit and complain, it makes me sad, sometimes upset, but I get on with life. I feel split right down the middle, there are good and bad things everywhere. Because I have lived in both places for many years I feel I know enough to say, when it comes to looking after its citizens Denmark is light years ahead of both Canada and USA.

It is very political all of it. I know Denmark used to take in anyone who asked to be let in (Socialdemokratiske parti); they had family from hither and dither marrying cousins from especially Muslim countries. They cut back on that, I think that too infuriated the Muslims already living in Denmark. I think that the Muslims should have taken that to heart as a signal that they were overstepping the Danish boundaries and maybe out wearing their welcome. Many people today have a feeling of entitlement.

I try to understand the behavior of people around me; maybe it would help you if you too stepped into their shoes every so often. Hope you try it because it helps one to understand another person or persons.
Ha' det godt!

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