By  Juliane Hammer

This brief overview over three of the Scandinavian countries can only provide some ideas about the situation of Muslims in these countries. It covers Denmark, Sweden and Norway, as neither Iceland nor Finland has a significant Muslim community. These three countries have been closely linked in history and share several features, especially a very organized and influential state church.

Denmark
Since the late sixties when Denmark joined the European search for migrant labor, the country had an almost unrestricted labor immigration policy for some time. It was completely stopped in 1974 and replaced by restricted allowance of family reunification. Nowadays Denmark has one of the strictest immigration and refugee policies in Europe. Between 1968 and 1990 the number of Muslim immigrants rose from 2,000 to approximately 60,000. They come from Turkey, North Africa, and Pakistan, and due to political unrest in the Middle East after 1980, they come from Iraq, Iran and Lebanon. The Muslim community is concentrated in and around Copenhagen.

The Danish constitution contains an article on freedom of religion, however, the religion of the state and the monarch is Evangelical Lutheranism. Based on that fact the Lutheran church is one of the departments of the Danish state. This fact has the capacity to influence the state's relations with the Muslim community, as family affairs such as birth, death and marriage registration fall under the ministry of church affair's duties. The other Christian communities and also the Jewish one have a constitutional status as recognized faith communities, but not Islam. Voluntary associations related to the church started a dialogue with the Muslims in the country to learn more about their needs and problems. This dialogue led to the best funded research project based on state funding dealing with the situation with Muslims in Europe, especially Denmark. Muslim organizations were closely involved in this project.

Denmark is one of the biggest European producers of halal meat. Since the 1970s the representative of the Muslim World League in Copenhagen functions as the authority guaranteeing the halal status of meat, especially poultry from Denmark. The bulk of the production goes to different parts of the Muslim world, but it is also available in European supermarkets for supply to the Muslim communities, especially in countries were the restrictions are tighter.

In public schools religion is taught as based on Christianity, but with space for information about Islam and world religions. Denmark allows the establishment of schools based on religious or ideological ideas, if parents come together to found it. As a result the country has a number of Muslim schools.

Sweden
Until the late 1980s Sweden had the most liberal refugee policy in Europe, which is the reason why the Muslim migrant population includes more refugees from countries such as Turkey, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Iran. The immigration and naturalization laws allow application for citizenship after five years of residency and the asylum process is considered fast and less bureaucratic than in other European countries. Almost 50% of the Muslims in Sweden live in and around Stockholm with other centers in Malmoe, Gotteburg and other big cities.

The highest estimates for the late 1990s are at 300,000, which would make up for 3.6% of the Swedish population. Many migrants are employed in industry and the service sector with a high percentage of semi-skilled and unskilled laborers. After 1975 Sweden adopted a multicultural policy affecting education, media and elections. Foreigners are allowed to vote and stand for office in local elections, teaching Swedish to immigrants and their children is an educational priority and government funds are available for immigrant associations, press and broadcasting in minority languages.

Though the Lutheran Church of Sweden is the state church, since 1951 the freedom of religion is part of the Swedish laws and the state can support different religious congregations. The only precondition to be entitled to that support is the foundation of a religious federation, with an established structure and membership lists. As a result the Muslim community enjoys such support, and over the years several Muslim federations have been established. The Swedish school system is an example for the integration of foreign children into the state schools, with gradual increase of teaching in Swedish and the incorporation of ethnic minority teachers to meet the needs of foreign children.

Norway
Norway always had a relatively restricted immigration policy and consequently attracted far less immigrants. The estimated Muslim population in 1990 was 36,000, bigger than most Christian communities outside the Lutheran state church. The Muslims come largely from Pakistan, with smaller groups from Turkey, Morocco, Iran and other countries. The community is concentrated around Oslo, the Norwegian capital. Pakistani Muslims show the highest level of integration, comparable to that in the UK. The constitution guarantees religious freedom, though in practice it seems to be more difficult, as it is reflected in problems such as getting permission for mosque building. A number of Muslim organizations have been established, the largest being the Jamaat Ahl-e-Sunna. It is based in Oslo and the membership is Punjabi with close links to the Sufi order of the Chistiyya

Juliane Hammer is a freelance writer from Berlin, Germany. She is also a Ph.D. candidate in Islamic Studies at University of Humboldt in Berlin. For feedback, e-mail hayati222@yahoo.com

Source : http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1162385921849&pagename=Zone-English-Euro_Muslims/EMELayout