Denmark: Imam leaves TV show set in middle of debate

Denmark: Imam leaves TV show set in middle of debate

Danish imam Abdul Wahid Pedersen left the set of the Deadline show, broadcast live, when he didn't like the line of questioning. (See here on YouTube, h/t Balder)

Kristina Abu-Khader Aamand, an activist on the issue of the requirement for Muslim girls to be virgin, had asked Pedersen to speak about the issue during Friday prayers. Pedersen said that he was already speaking about the gang wars, and did not appreciate being told what he should be speaking about.

When host Mads Brügger thanked him for his participation, he suddenly said that he feels attacked and conned.

Mads Brügger, on his part, says it was a lively and good debate. He doesn't understand why Pedersen got so upset, since he had been briefed about the topic before the show.

When Aamand said she deals with many Muslim girls who feel threatened, Pedersen answered that he's never heard about it. Aamand told him that he could now talk about the problem, and that it was strange that he's never heard about the requirement to see blood on the sheets among Muslims.

The imam got upset and left the studio.

Later Pedersen said that he got so upset that he decided to leave. He got tired of the way he was treated.

Pedersen said that he based on the pre-show briefing he got, he expected a serious and worthwhile debate on the issue, but he says that Aamand and Brügger weren't interested in a discussion at all.

"She was clearly out to blame the imams by saying that we don't take up the problem in our Friday prayers and therefore don't try to solve the problem. Brügger was on Aamand's side." At one point, Pedersen says, Brügger turned to Aamand and asked her why the imams don't bring up the issue.

Pedersen emphasizes that nobody had turned to him until now on this issue. "I speak daily with people for 2-3 hours about their problems. And in Nørrebro it's mostly about gangs, violence, divorces and such. I've never heard of the problem with young girls. And if just three, four or five people turned [to me] about it, I would gladly bring it up in Friday prayers."

Source: Ekstrabladet 1, 2 (Danish)

For more on Kristina Abu-Khader Aamand see:
* Denmark: Municipalities pay for virginity operations
* Denmark: New site against virginity operations
* Denmark: Honor used to silence sexually abused Muslim girls
* Denmark: Doctors told to stop virginity certificates