Muslim Youth In Denmark

The world looks different post-9/11. In 2015, the attack in Copenhagen created increased awareness of the phenomenon known as radicalisation. Questions arose about how to avoid such attacks and prevent the radicalisation of marginalised youth in the first place. The answers vary widely, requiring a specialised, tailored approach. One notable attempt is Denmark’s National Action Plan (NAP), a guideline for municipalities and social workers on the issue of radicalisation that has successfully provided concrete recommendations on how radicalisation can be managed. The NAP is based on the principle that, through several initiatives and dialogues, at-risk individuals can effectively be shifted back onto the ‘right track’ rather than into the hands of radicalised groups. In this chapter, I provide an overview of Muslim youth in Denmark, emphasising social integration, discrimination, and racism. This analysis is followed by a description of the political discourse on Muslims in Denmark, with a focus on radicalism and extremism, which culminated in the creation of the NAP for Prevention of Extremism and Radicalisation. The analysis is strengthened by interviews with two social workers working with Muslim youth. The analysis concludes with a summary and discussion of the findings.