Denmark in Muslim headscarf row

[Amelia]

Denmark in Muslim headscarf row

May 21, 2007

Indian Express Newspaper

Copenhagen, May 21: Denmark's national symbol, the Little Mermaid sculpture, was draped in a Muslim headscarf for several hours at the weekend, amid a debate in the country over the veil.

The bronze sculpture, perched on a rock overlooking Copenhagen port, is often the target of vandals.

Passersby discovered the statue's head and body draped in red and burgundy fabric similar to a Muslim headscarf early Sunday and alerted police, who said they had the material removed.

Debate over the Muslim veil erupted in Denmark several weeks ago after Asmaa Abdol-Hamid, a Palestinian-born Dane standing in the 2009 legislative election, declared that she would wear her veil in Parliament if elected.

The Little Mermaid, one of Denmark's biggest tourist attractions, has been regularly vandalised in recent years.

In 2004, she was covered in a burqa and the text ‘Turkey in the EU?’ was splashed across her torso, in protest against Ankara's attempts to join the European Union.

Last week, the statue's head and body was covered with red paint. Next to her they had placed a box with only the word ‘Av!’, Danish for ‘Ouch!’, written inside in green ink.

That act was believed to be related to clashes between hundreds of youths and police in a hippie commune.

The 125 centimetre tall statue, which weighs 175 kilograms, has watched over the Copenhagen port since 1913.

In the past 40 years, she has been decapitated twice and has had her right arm cut off.

The Little Mermaid is based on the character created by Hans Christian Andersen in an 1837 fairytale.