A Socialdemokratiet lawmaker has called for the removal of singer Isam B's "Ramadan i København" from Denmark's Højskolesangbogen, the country's widely used folk-song collection. Integration spokesman Thomas Skriver Jensen argued the singer's recent statements are incompatible with the folk-school movement's values of freedom and open-mindedness.
The dispute centres on remarks Isam B made on the podcast "Platform," where he described wearing a niqab as "something of the most feminist things" a woman can do, likening it to being a "ninja." Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen criticised the comparison, prompting Isam B to respond on Instagram that he recognised her disagreement as legitimate but denied mocking women who wear niqab.
Isam B told Ekstra Bladet the hymnal should not serve as a "political sorting list." A venue in Sorø has cancelled a scheduled concert with the singer. The hymnal's editorial committee, not parliament, ultimately decides its contents.