Denmark: Islam debate cooling down

Denmark: Islam debate cooling down

Via Aftenposten:

Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten reports that the Islam debate in Denmark has calmed down. The newspaper totaled the media usage of twelve words common in the immigration debate.  For example, 'Muslim' was used in 38% fewer articles and letters to the editor in 2011 than in 2001.  Usage of the word fell by 68% compared to 2006, the height of the Mohammed cartoon crisis .  'Fundamentalist', 'imam', 'halal' and 'Danishness' were also used less than a decade ago.

Culture-sociologist Mehmet Ümit Necef (University of Southern Denmark), thinks the debate cooled down because there's political agreement on the main issues.  "The sharply drawn fronts which existed in the immigration debate, fell apart," he says. 

The United Council of Muslims is happy about the figures and and thinks they show greater understanding for the situation of immigrants.