An event organized by the Danish Jewish community, Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen expressed his support for Danish Jewry and said he would do everything to provide adequate security to the community and its members, following the deadly terrorist attack at Copenhagen's main synagogue in February.
Rasmussen told the guests of a Rosh Hashanah reception in Copenhagen, which included several members of Rasmussen's government, the police and the community's voluntary security service, that Danish Jews were an integral part of the country's society and must be "able to live a normal Jewish life in Denmark, with the traditions that come with that."
He added: "Religious culture and habits may come under pressure in a very secular society like the Danish, and we need to be aware of that so that we do not inadvertently step on our citizens' religious rights and customs.For me, it is a distinction of Denmark that we protect the freedom to be different. We must cherish that freedom. We must solve our problems together."
Rasmussen praised the contribution of Danish Jews in the fields of culture, science and business. "Many famous Danes in history also are Jews," he said.
On the security situation in the country, he said: "I get concerned when the Jewish school is vandalized, when a Gaza demonstration develops into anti-Semitism, and when men do not dare to wear a skullcap in Copenhagen because they feel unsafe." He pledged that there could be no compromise when it came to providing adequate security for all Danes.
Rasmussen said Dan Uzan, the voluntary security guard shot dead by an Islamist terrorist outside the synagogue in Febriary, had given his life to protect others. "A heavy sadness filled us all. I know that Dan Uzans family and friends are here today. I want to express my deepest condolences to your unbearable loss.
"Today, many of the volunteer guards present. I want to pay my great respect for the work you are doing, for the responsibility you take on, and for the dedication you show when you take your stint in rain and sleet."
Photo: Michael Juhler
