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Denmark paying to help rebuild mosques in Afghanistan

By The Copenhagen Post

Published 26.06.08   00:00 

As part of the regeneration of Afghanistan, Denmark has renovated and rebuilt nine mosques and is building a new one in Helmand province

Danish soldiers have been hard at work in the regeneration program for Afghanistan. But what the locals want more than hospitals and schools is a place of prayer. As a result, the Danes have helped renovate and rebuild nine mosques in Helmand province and are building another large one in the town of Rahim Kalay.

'We met with the locals and offered to help with the regeneration. One of the very first things they wanted was a mosque. Religion is such an integrated part of their life that it can be more important than schools and other things that Danish people would consider basic,' Major Jens Morten Jørgensen of the Danish armed forces told MetroXpress newspaper.

The nationalist Danish People's Party (DF) have reacted with criticism at the news that mosques are being built in Afghanistan with Danish tax money. Søren Krarup, a DF member of the defence committee, expressed wariness.

'I do not support the notion that we should build mosques. But in some places there can be extreme situations where it might be necessary. However, we should be wary of what the mosques are used for. It would be suicidal if they fell into the hands of radicals,' he told MetroXpress.

Apart from helping the local Afghans to rebuild their society in their own way, the defence forces think it is a good way to promote goodwill with the locals, whose support of the Taleban hangs in the balance. However, the army has admitted that it cannot foresee what the mosques will be used for.

'When we build roads, they can be also used to transport weapons. When we help the locals build a mosque, we have no idea if they are being built with radicalism in mind,' said Jørgensen. (kr)

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