The Danish-Palestinian poet Yahya Hassan was booed when he showed up to participate in the celebrations at the opening of Copenhagen’s new grand mosque yesterday and then refused entry.
Hassan was disappointed at the reception and said that it proved that – despite what Mohamed Al Maimouni, a spokesperson for the Danish Islamic Council, said earlier in the week – not everyone was welcome at the new mosque.
“I experienced, on this first day of the mosque, proof that it isn’t open to everyone,” Hassan told TV2 News.
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A hot commodity
The young poet was refused entry to the mosque and was subsequently escorted off the premises by the police.
The police wouldn’t confirm that Hassan had been asked to leave, but they did say they had asked one person to leave the opening.
Hassan – who is not a practising Muslim – landed himself in hot water amongst parts of the Muslim contingency in Denmark after he published a collection of poetry that was critical of Islam last year. The collection has since become the best-selling poetry collection in Danish history.
