An Open Letter to Barack Obama: On Danish Racism

The Danish author of 'American Pictures' Jacob Holdt, and Danish author and columnist Rune Engelbreth, have published "An Open Letter to Barack Obama on Racism in Denmark" as a video-message on YouTube and Facebook.
The authors are concerned about the rising influence of the anti-immigrant Danish People's Party and hope to get the attention of the American President Elect as well as the American public and media.
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A critical appraisal of the danger from our neighbours and friends abroad may prove to be a helpful necessity, similar to the criticism directed at the USA in the years when American politicians demonized their own black minority to attract white voters. Many Americans today express gratitude for the international support in those years and in line with the American ambassador to Denmark James P. Cain, hope that Denmark can avoid repeating America's past mistakes.


In the spirit of optimism, and the courage to hope for real change which has been kindled throughout the world by the historic election in the United States, we hope to bring to your personal attention, and to the awareness of the American public, the distressing state of affairs in our own highly privileged corner of the world.
We wish to express our deep concern at the incremental rise of racism and the use of racist propaganda in mainstream Danish politics over the past decade.
Ethnic and religious minorities are demonized and marginalized. Discrimination and hate-filled rhetoric reminiscent of anti-Semitic propaganda of the 1930's has become an accepted part of Danish political debate. This especially affects African ethnic minorities, Arabian ethnic minorities and Muslim religious minorities.

Read the full letter at Panhumanism and American Pictures with Video