More on terrorist apologia

Here is the relevant parts of the exchange that is creating an uproar in the mayoral race in Copenhagen. It is part of a series of exchanges between Liberal Candidate Søren Pind and Social Democratic candidate Ritt Bjerregaard, that is running daily in the paper Berlingske Tidende until friday. From Berlingske Tidende (sorry, articles arent online. Translation mine):

Now we have a man in the heart of Copenhagen, who is charged with accessory to terrorism. There is, according to the press´s descriptions of him, nothing about him that indicates he is a terrorist. He has gone to school. He is young. And he is apparently a radical moslem - islamist. The exact group you and your party refuse to do anything about. Every time we in City Hall have tried to touch upon an organization like Hizb-ut-Tahrir, that is part of the reason PET has equipped Naser Khader with bodyguards, you wont be part of it (PET = police intelligence. Naser Khader = Radical MP from Pakistan, who has spoken out against radical islamists). Every time I discuss prevention as part of the integration process with you, and tell you that we also have to understand the middle-eastern concepts of honor and religious aspects - in other words culture - you refuse to take this into consideration. You have plenty of times claimed, that is solely a question of social problems. I dont think you can solve the city´s massive crime problems amongst young immigrants with that attitude. It has nothing to do with social conditions. These people belong, like in England and the USA, to the midde- and even upper class. But they are ideologues. Ideology is not a social matter. It is cultural. The city has an enormous task in the preventive work. Unfortunately, I think you will just throw more money at the problem. Your effort wont help those, for whom the primary challenge is not social. But cultural.

Ritt Bjerregaards reply:

But you are not capable to draw the right conclusions of neither this episode nor the terror-threat in general. You lack level-headedness and clear-sightedness in your estimation of the serious problem, that the terror-threat consitutes. It is not suitable for a responsible politician to view threats, violence and terror as cultural or ideological problems. The task of the responsible politicians and officials is to have these crimes are solved, and to prevent that that kind of monstrosities are repeated. That is first and foremost a task for the police and police intelligence. The task of the responsible politicians is to support the police in whatever way, it asks. The government has led Denmark into war - based on lies, even - and we unfortunately have to count on the horrible consequences. He who sows the wind, reaps the storm. Forethought and level-headed analysis is in need. That is not what you deliver in your letter. Broad generalizations about large demographic groups serve no goal. There is no evidence to support the idea, that all moslems are criminals or sympathise with terrorism.

Søren Pind said no such thing, of course.

Our task as local politicians with responsibility for Copenhagen are social and cultural. We best solve these tasks, if we cooperate and keep our private thoughts about security policy and policework to ourselves.

Henrik