Zubair Butt Hussai [spokesperson, Muslim Council of Denmark]: "It is with great regret and indignation that it has come to our knowledge that the Danish government now wishes to intervene in the Administration of Justice Act [in Danish]. The government has chosen to disregard all reasonable arguments and traditions of freedom in Denmark under the guise of a need for neutral appearance of judges. The decision illustrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the rationale behind the dress-code among Muslim women, their integrity, and their professionalism. It also disregards the competence of resource persons in the Danish judicial system, who evaluate candidates to the office of judge.
The government's drastic interference in the right of the Court Administration to lead a modern and inclusive personnel policy means that it finally signals that not everybody in this society is equal. In the Muslim Council of Denmark we are highly concerned that this may be the beginning of a tendency that will affect a growing number of professions. This is an extremely dangerous slippery slope that does not lead to the open and inclusive society that we wish to maintain in Denmark.
In the Muslim Council of Denmark, we can only continue to encourage men and women to pursue their educational dreams. One may expect, though, that Danish Muslims will increasingly choose professions with international potentials, if the present tendency continues."