Religionsforskrækkelse i Danmark?

NOTE: Only in Danish. Jeg vil gerne understrege at dette blogindlæg er meget generaliseret og ment som en provokation, som med en god omgang selvransagelse måske kan sætte spørgsmål ved nogle dobbeltmoralske tendenser der gør sig gældende i det danske samfund. Glæder mig til at høre din holdning.

I Danmark bryster vi os af at have ytringsfrihed. Vi er stolte over den og har bevist, at vi er klar til at gå meget langt for at beskytte den. Men er det virkelig nødvendigt? Går vi for langt i et ønske om at bevare ytringsfriheden? Er den blevet en undskyldning for en ny form for voksen mobning?
Mit problem med ytringsfriheden er ikke ytringsfrihed som sådan, men når en tegning med et yderligtgående budskab bliver kaldt for ytringsfrihed, i virkeligheden skaber vrede blandt en stor del af verdensbefolkningen med et, hvad man kan kalde, meget anderledes religiøst verdensbillede end danskere kender, så begynder jeg at stille spørgsmål ved dens nødvendighed. Når en minoritetsgruppe i Danmark til gengæld giver udtryk for deres religiøse holdninger og dermed gør brug af den ytringsfrihed vi taler om i Danmark, bliver de kaldt for radikaliserede. Hvor er ytringsfriheden så henne?

I Danmark er det meget svært for muslimer at give udtryk for deres holdninger og deres religion uden at få en bemærkning om at være radikal, imod danske værdier og udemokratiske. Men er det kun tilhængere af Islam der bliver mødt med disse holdninger? I Danmark er der mere eller mindre problemer ligeså snart man bunder sit liv og sit verdensbillede i en religion. Nogle religioner mere direkte udtalt end andre. For i Danmark bliver alt ligesom kaldt udansk og udemokratisk ligeså snart man har holdninger om homoseksuelle vielser i folkekirkerne eller abort, bare for at nævne nogle få stykker. Hvis man har en holdning der bunder i værdier der kommer fra en religion og giver udtryk for det i det offentlige, trækker størstedelen af danskerne ofte kortet "Religion er en privatsag" frem og vifter med det foran næsen på en som om, at de gerne må give udtryk for deres holdninger men bunder du dine værdier i de kristne værdisæt skal du holde det for dig selv. Som kristen kan man ikke bare give udtryk for ens holdninger i frygt for at blive overfuset af kollegaer og medstuderende.
            Muslimer er lige i øjeblikket i orkanens øje fordi vi taler meget om radikalisering. Der er stor fokus på hvordan den kan stoppes. En nødvendig tanke, men dette fokus forårsager et større fokus på hvad muslimer egentlig mener. Fokus bliver somme tider, hvordan vi kan ændre det de mener til at hænge mere sammen med danske værdier og demokratiet i stedet for at acceptere forskellige holdninger og den ytringsfrihed vi faktisk siger vi har.

Jeg siger ikke, at hvis der er mennesker - uanset hvilken ideologisk baggrund de har eller uanset hvilken religion de tilhører - som er villig til at ty til voldelige metoder på at angribe Danmark eller et hvilket som helst andet land i verden, at vi ikke skal gøre vores for at stoppe det. Jeg siger ikke at de forsøg på dialog og diskussion mellem mennesker med et radikalt andet verdensbillede ikke er nødvendige. Faktisk mener jeg, at denne dialog også kan hjælpe den almene dansker med måske at blive lidt oplyst om hvordan tingene egentlig hænger sammen. Hvordan et muslimsk eller et kristent verdensbillede hænger sammen.
Jeg kan bare ikke lade være med at undres over, at den 'dialog' og 'accept' den almene dansker med andre ligesindede bliver enige om rundt om spisebordet eller over hækken er radikalt anderledes og skal stoppes, ikke er udtryk for beskyttelse af ytringsfriheden, men måske hellere en ny form for voksen-mobning? Måske, hvis du sad rundt om bordet hos en muslimsk familie eller en kristen familie ville du finde andre holdninger, andre verdensbilleder, andre oplevelser som ikke nødvendigvis fører til død og ødelæggelse. Hvis vi respekterer hinanden, kan vi måske med tiden skabe en ligesindet dialog i Danmark, som hverken har eksisteret med danske muslimer eller danske kristne.

I medierne taler vi om "de der muslimer", vi taler om "de radikale" og terror som om det er tre sider af samme sag. Men måske burde vi tale om et dybere liggende problem som ligger og ulmer under overfladen. Måske skulle vi tale om den manglende respekt for anderledes, og i de fleste danskeres øjne, radikale verdensbilleder der mener noget der står i modsætning til det, der  uudtalt defineres som danske værdier. Måske skulle vi tale om hvordan mange mere eller mindre ubevidst undertrykker hvad de i virkeligheden mener, fordi majoriteten ville overfuse disse holdninger, hvis der blev givet udtryk for de virkelige meninger og holdninger. Måske skulle vi i Danmark forlade utopien om, at alle har 'ytringsfrihed' og ideen om at vi er et mangfoldigt samfund og istedet se i øjnene, at 'danske værdier' og 'demokrati' er blevet følge-ord for en 'ny religion' i Danmark - den nationalistiske forestilling om danskeren, hvor religion bliver anset for at være en privat sag og skal overfuses og nedlægges i ethvert forsøg for det religiøse menneske at blive accepteret for det menneske det nu engang er og ikke blot for den maske denne tager på i hverdagen. At blive forstået. At gøre brug af den ytringsfrihed I danskere siger vi alle har.

Måske skulle I danskere til at acceptere at med kampen for ytringsfrihed, vil der komme radikalt anderledes verdensbilleder frem som ikke nødvendigvis altid stemmer overens med det verdensbillede I forbinder ytringsfriheden med.

For i sidste ende står spørgsmålet tilbage: Er det virkelig så slemt at være radikalt anderledes end det de fleste danskere synes at stå for? Hvis en minoritet af den danske befolkning ikke nødvendigvis går ind for krig, vold, ødelæggelse og antidemokratiske handlinger, men stadig har et verdensbillede som er radikalt i forhold til det almene verdensbillede, hvorfor skal dette så bekæmpes? Hvorfor må de ikke være dem de er i fred og ro? De gør os jo ikke noget?

Lever vi ikke i et frit land?

A 'Schizophrenic' Life

These days the problems concerning the refugees is a sour subject in Denmark. As a Dane I am at one hand more or less embarrassed by the way Denmark is perceived by the outside world. On the other hand I haven't lost faith in the Danes, as I can see how much of a difference the Danish people actually want to do.
       A friend of mine told me about a local initiative where the children of the neighbourhood can come and get help with their homework. She told me that most of the children knew Danish better than their native tongue and thereby, complicating simple communication between the youngsters and their families. Integration seems to be going very well, you may think. But hold on for a moment and try to follow my train of thought.

Carolin Goerzig and Khaled Al-Hashimi touches a very interesting subject in relation to this in their book "Radicalisation in Western Europe: Integration, public discourse, and loss of identity among Muslim communities". In the description of a workshop in the book one subject the book analysis is radicalisation and religion. The respondents of the workshop is seen creating an in- and out-group according to their religious background vs the religious background of the country they live in. A out-group, with all the people with opinions consistent with theirs and an in-group with people they can rely on having the same opinion as themselves. Thereby, an in-group and out-group situation is created concerning the fact that the exterior reality is not consistent with their interior reality - a reality consistent with the cultural and religious worldview in the family of the immigrants versus the outside world with its many different world-views. The framework of Goerzig and Al-Hashimi is the society the immigrants live in versus the family-life the immigrants have. However, what if both the exterior as well as the interior reality is causing young immigrants to distance themselves? A feeling of being marginalised from both the society one lives within and also from ones family? If someone had a feeling of being different within the outer reality as well as what was supposed to be ones inner reality, a reasonable conclusion could be that one would search for a reality or peers within which or with whom one can feel average and like-minded.
        For instance, if a young girl or guy with another ethnical origin than the country he or she lives in. If he or she because of his or hers ethnical origin is labelled by the society as different however is still labelled as different at home because he or she is not capable of communicating fully with his or hers parents because he or she does not fully speak their original language, would that not cause a situation where a young girl or guy would search for like-minded, a substitute family, and therefore, could be exposed to different types of harmless as well as less harmless groups, where they might be exposed to an extremist worldview that might have a great affect on them.
       In Denmark it is almost considered a success if the young women and guys is capable of getting around and communicate in flawless Danish. In fact, in a new special allowance called "integration allowance" an extra amount of money (called "dansktillæg"), 1500 kr, is given to those who pass a danish test in a wish to strengthen the danish skills among the immigrants. However, are we forgetting that this may have a marginalised effect on youngsters who cannot have the same support at home, because they simply cannot communicate with their parents? If my inference is somewhat true, such a small thing as language skills could be one more thing in the range of things that could be of great importance regarding whether or not young women and guys is exposed to extremist ideas and actions. Are we in Denmark so focused on immigrants getting so integrated that it is an assimilation and therefore, makes immigrants alienated from their own families? Families who are supposed to offer guidance and support in a time in the young women and guys lifes that has a lot of mixed feelings that can be confusing and weird. Are we stealing away their safety-net and security with the attempt of integrating these people to our standards instead of considering to implement their ideas and worldviews as well?

Lækre Glutenfrie og Mælkefrie Amerikanske Pandekager

Jeg elsker amerikanske pandekager og specielt dem her. De er nemme at lave og lækre luftige. Der skal ingen sukker i og kan steges på en pande uden fedt, hvis man er i besiddelse af de der smarte pander hvor man ikke behøver sådan noget som fedt for at lade pandekagerne slippe. Så der er minimeret på det usunde, så man kan fyre godt under siruppen når man spiser dem.

Ingredienser:
3 æg
1 tsk salt
1 tsk bagepulver
2 tsk vanille.
100 gr boghvedemel (eller andet alternativ).
1,5 dl plantemælk (Soya eller mandelmælk).
Evt 1 tsk kanel og skiveskårne og skrællede æbler.

Fremgangsmåde:
Del æggehvider og æggeblommer ad. Pisk æggehviderne med saltet til skålen kan vendes på hovedet uden at indholdet falder ud. Bland æggeblommer, mælk, bagepulver og vanillesukker sammen i en skål for sig. Vend melen ind i den til den får en flydende men ikke for flydende konsistens og herefter vender man æggehviderne i blandingen. Vend dejen til æggehviderne bliver en del af dejen. Til sidst klatter man dejen på en pande, vender og værså god - så er der amerikanske pandekager.
Hvis du er til lidt ekstra muf og mums kan man med fordel vende 1 tsk kanel i og evt 1-1,5 æble (skrældet og skåret i tynde skiver) i dejen og stege dem på panden. Det gør dem også monster gode!


Alt jeg har tilbage at sige er: Velbekomme.

Living by seeking what scares me the most

After a crazy day with 'limit-breaking' challenges, I crashed at home way past my bedtime. A thousand thoughts ran through my head. Mostly, proud of actually having done it, but also, what I eventually could do better next time. Because, I have to admit. I kind of like talking to people that are interested in what I love doing. Ok, let me rephrase; I love talking to people who have to listen, have to care and have to involve themselves. - And I was the one who swore that I would NEVER be a teacher as my mother. Somehow it seems to me to be the perfect job to force people to listen.

It began in my teen years. I found out that I had a slight depression. I knew something was wrong, when people around me expected me to be miserable, sad, tired and sluggish all the time. Every day. I proprably should have known about my depression when a guy in school told me that, "It is always great to come to school in a bad mood, because then I just look at you and I know someone is going through something worse".
As the analytical person that I am, I began to wonder. Why? Why is it that I am so mad. So sad. All the time. I couldn't go to new places - they made me scared. I was afraid of everything new. I was afraid of what new places, new experiences, new thoughts would do to me. How they would put me at display. Display my weaknesses. My faults.
So as I confessed my state of mind to my father, he looked at me and asked, "What is the craziest thing you can think of, the one thing that scares you the most, but you really want to experience?" And I answered: "the Roskilde Festival". I was scared. Saying it out loud. I just really wanted to go. But it was that one thing that scared me the most. My father ordered me to buy tickets right away. Which I did. And that summer I cured my slight depression by being the only sober girl at Roskilde Festival - and I was happy. Happier than I had ever been. I knew that I could do whatever I wanted.

Since, I have asked myself that one question. What scares you right now - at this moment? What is it that stands in the way for you to feel good about yourself? And then I sought it. Did it.
Sometimes I have sought the challenge, other times I needed a friendly push in the right direction. However, in my search for challenges, I have come to realise, that living in the shadow of fear in some sense was a side effect of the insecurity I had in myself. A long time passed where my insecurity still had a toll in me but slowly it faded away as I challenged myself and found out what I could and could not do. What I liked. What I didn't like.

Today, I believe in myself. I honestly don't really care what people think about me. On my path of challenges I do not allow myself to mentally stand still in the same self-pity. In the same place of mental state. That same place that created that deep, dark, hole of quicksand called depression. I have found that I am good enough as I am. I am cared for. I am loved.

Because in the end. We are all cared for. We are all loved.

And do those people who love us for who we are, not deserve to see us live the life we have, develop the people we are to be better? Do we not owe that to ourselves?

Reklamer jeg indrømmer at se til ende HVER GANG! (Only in Danish)

Som jeg sidder her, halv liggende eller halv slumrende i min lækre lænestol med et udefinerbart falsk skin fra IKEA og venter i den laaaange kø på skat for at komme ind og se min årsopgørelse, kan jeg ligeså godt gøre min overspringshandling komplet med en lille smule blogging. For selvom tidsrammen for at komme ind og se hvad dommen er med de der skattepapirer jeg aldrig rigtig fatter alligevel er "over en time", er jeg stadig en af de der mange danskere der egentlig gerne lige vil vide om jeg nu er så heldig at skulle have penge tilbage i skat. For det ville virkelig være fantastisk, selvom jeg har svært ved at se hvor jeg i det forgangne år skulle have betalt for meget i skat.

Under en af mine yndlings overspringshandlinger - at se tegnefilm - er jeg faldet jeg så geniale reklamer der ikke fik mig til at presse irriteret på "spring over"-knappen, og de skal deles. Sådan er det. Så her er der et uddrag af de reklamer jeg bliver nødt til at se til ende når de dukker op.

1. Cillit Bang's nyeste reklame med dansende øjenguf

Normalt skærer jeg ansigt af en dårligt synkroniserede Cillit Bang reklame, men at sætte en lækker gut til at danse til et lækkert beat imens han på mirakuløs vis for gjort et helt værksted rent er liiige noget for mig. Jeg løber gerne ned i det lokale supermarked, og det i rask gallop - hvis gutten altså følger med, så jeg kan sidde med popcorn i min lænestol og nyde Hr Øjenguf imens han i umulige krumspring rengør lejligheden. Mums.







2. Tulips reklamer med dyr der ikke helt svarer det der forventes

En anden reklame der i min verden er langt fra tidsfordriv er Tulips reklamer hvor dyr spiller smagsdommere af deres "nye" og forbedrede produkter. 

Specielt den nemt distraherede krokodille er et hit i min verden. Stakkels rapporter der egentlig bare vil have at vide hvor godt pålægget smager fra en kød-elsker der ikke har nemt ved at bevare fokus.


"Scheise".



3. SodaStream - Israelere og Palæstinensere der arbejder side om side

For det første tog det mig flere timer at finde den her reklame, som jeg for nylig så rent tilfældigt på youtube. For det andet er jeg normalt ikke til de store Hollywood-lignende reklamer der fylder modtager med alle mulige underlige forestillinger om verdenen. Men den her må jeg indrømme, at jeg håber ikke er at finde under "Hollywood-titlen". Den bryder med alle vores vestlige forestillinger om Israel-Palæstina konflikten mere eller mindre og så mindede den mig om en sprogfilm jeg så på et tidspunkt, hvor jeg skulle høre hvad personerne sagde på arabisk.

Love, Being single, God and Everything in Between

So. I'm one of those people. I have pretty much been single all my life. For little over two decades I have filled blogs, diaries, messages and random conversations with tales of possible crushes, sadness, sorrow and tears over the fact that I'm all alone in this world. I've watched on the sideline when my friends one by one was 'devoured' by the whole two-someness. Until I realised one day that me being single wasn't really a bad thing. For me what constituted the problem was the entire idea of being with somebody. Now, don't get me wrong. It is not like I'm going to let a possibility slide if it comes along. It's just that, all my life I've had this idea that life first began when I was in a relationship. 

I grew up with christian friends and christian adults around me. It is not like my parents ever told me how I was supposed to live. They always told me that I needed to find my own way in this life. However, from the circles of people around me, I learned that 'true life' was when you in your teen years went to boarding school, met your true love and after some years married and lived the rest of your life with this man and the family you created together. I don't think that this worldview is meant to be created in a confused teen like I was back then when I was asked when I was going to introduce a boyfriend to them. As boarding school finished and the love of my life hadn't revealed itself, I began to question if I was normal at all. I didn't follow the schedule. I battled this feeling inside, that this life was the only way to live. 

Somehow, I thought that being in a relationship was going to help me get back for all the times other people bullied or belittled me. I was so hollow inside. This endless, consuming hole inside my heart I only thought would be whole and healed when I found someone that could love me. 

My father used to say, that love will come the day I am comfortable with being on my own. The day I accept that I will be able to be alone for the rest of my life, love will show up. That have lingered with me ever since. Made me think and question what I was truly seeking in a relationship? Was I truly ready for a relationship? In various ways I searched for an answer. I read books on marriage. I talked to people I trusted. And after years and years of picking up signs, truths about 'relationships' I realised that what I was looking for was not the truth. It was not going to heal me. It was not going to be the beginning of the life I wanted. I realised that the only way to heal the hole in my heart was to let go. To realise and accept, that I am not ready for the type of relationship I truly want. I am not ready for the consequences of it. The question I am probably going to battle with for the rest of my life is, whether or not I'm ever going to be ready. I realised that I didn't and don't need love from a significant other to confirm my worth.

Today, I love it when my friends find their significant other. I love to notice them grow together - even though this part of their relationships never is a dance on roses and fairytales for them. I love when a friend of mine chooses to marry his or her significant other. I love to be that friend on their "life-road" together. I love playing with their children and watch them grow and become little human beings. And I really, truly don't mind being "that single friend", because that is a role I have chosen whether my friends understand or not. I have found peace in me and in God, that this life might be the only type of life that I will have. I have realised that God meant for me to live my entire life as it began years ago and not as if it only begins when I am being married. If I don't end up in a relationship I truly, honestly don't mind. It doesn't bother me as much anymore. If a possible love interest do come along and become a part of my life, well. I guess I will take that experience with me as well. The main point is, that he will not be the solution to fixing what only God can fix in my life. He will be a nice addition to an already amazing life God has given me. 

I do not write this blog to get your sympathy or compassion. I'm not blaming anyone with this blog. IF I blame anyone it is myself for taking so long to realise this.  I write this blog for all the young single girls out there who count on love being the only thing to "fix" their life. It's not. Being single is hard at first. It takes a lot of tears. A lot of questions about yourself. But it can bring blessing as well - if you let it. The truth is that he or her will not help you get to know yourself. Only you can. It is not the end of life, being single. Life has already begun before you meet your significant other. So do yourself a favour. Feel every moments. The happiness. The joy. The sorrow. The pain. Even the times where you lay in bed in the dark crying to yourself. 

All I'm saying is, that sometimes. The life you are told to be the right way to live, is not necessarily the right one for you. Sometimes Gods plans are different. So go live the life he gave you, instead of waiting for it to begin. 

Yndlings Æble- og Peanutbutter-kage

Før jeg skiftede glutenholdige varer og mælkeprodukterne ud var den et hit. Lækker, blød og smushi. En af de nemmeste kager at kaste sammen og blandt andet derfor også min yndlings. Efter er den stadig et hit. Den er ikke ligefrem sund og kan laves både som bradepande eller muffins der kan fryses ned til den dag hvor man skal til en fest der ikke lige har taget hensyn eller ikke kunne overskue det glutenfrie og mælkefrie køkken - hvilket er HELT OK! :)

Jeg har omdannet en opskrift jeg har fundet på dk-kogebogen.dk, som kan findes her.

Ingredienser:
2 æg
180 gr sukker
150 gr mel (jeg tager halvdelen som kokosfibermel (det smager skiiiiide godt!) og den anden halvdel som et hvilket som helst alternativ, evt mandelmel, boghvedemel eller andet glutenfrit alternativ.)
2 tsk bagepulver
1 tsk vanillesukker / 1 vanillestang
2 spsk peanutbutter
250 gr Æbler

Fremgangsmåde:
Pisk æg og sukker sammen til en luftig masse. Vend peanutbutter, mel, bagepulver og vanillesukker i massen.
Dejen hældes i en bradepande, springform eller muffinforme.
Skræl æblerne, skær dem i tynde både og læg dem i dejen. Sørg for at de kommer HELT NED i bunden af muffinformene eller den form du har valgt. Der må gerne være masser af æble i, men smag og behag.
Drys kanel og derefter sukker over kagen og bag dem i 20-30 min ved 200 grader i en almindelig ovn. Tjek lige om de skal have lidt mere i ovnen før de spises.

Resultat er lækre peanutbutter, kokos, smushi kage. Lækkert!