Udskrift af ovenstående video:
(Transcription of video in English below this text):
Lars Løkke Rasmussen har gjort det klart, at det er misinformation, som gør det nødvendigt at gribe ind:
(Lars Løkke Rasmussen, TV2 Nyhederne den 30. juli 2023:)
“Når vi stiller op med politi omkring en enkelt demonstrant, der står og brænder en Koran af, så bliver det oversat til, at Danmark står bag det her. Og det duer simpelthen ikke.”
Jeg forstår godt frustrationen. Det er ikke i orden, når andre lyver om os.
(Lars Løkke Rasmussen, TV2 Nyhederne den 30. juli 2023:)
“Vi har Islamisk Stat, og vi har Al-Qaeda og alle mulige, der kører dette her igennem en misinformations-maskine.”
Den form for misinformation så vi også under Mohammedkrisen i 2006. Et foto blev vist frem som bevis på danskernes forhånelse af muslimer. Men fotoet havde intet med hverken Danmark eller Mohammed at gøre. Det var fra en byfest et sted i Frankrig. Den løgn blev ovenikøbet formidlet af mænd med bopæl i Danmark. De mænd blev aldrig dømt.
Til gengæld kan snart enhver blive dømt, som protesterer mod kvindeundertrykkelse. I hvert fald hvis vedkommende tillader sig at gøre vold på genstande, som symboliserer den magt, som de fleste kvindeundertrykkende samfund bygger på: De såkaldt hellige bøger. Skrevet af mænd, for mænd.
En performance, som den jeg lavede foran Irans ambassade den 5. august, vil være kriminel.
Min performance var en protest. Og hvorfor den var nødvendig, dét kan Lars Løkke Rasmussen også forklare:
(Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Iran-konferencen den 17. oktober 2022:)
“Iran fremstår – omend konkurrencen er hård – som et af verdens mest afskyelige og formørkede regimer, hvor tyranni og brutal vold er dagens ret. Når et undertrykt folk sætter livet på spil og rækker hånden frem efter friheden, så skal vi gøre, hvad vi kan, for at gribe dem. Gøre hvad vi kan, for at det lykkes.”
Sådan sagde Lars Løkke Rasmussen i sin åbningstale til Irankonferencen på Christiansborg den 17. oktober 2022. Konferencens formål var at sætte fokus på de iranske kvinders frihedskamp.
(Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Iran-konferencen den 17. oktober 2022:)
“For det første – og der kan vi yde et bidrag hver især – der kan vi holde verdens opmærksomhed intakt. Og det er vigtigt, i en tid med mange kriser og et mediebillede, der flytter sig fra dag til dag, hvor det er svært at fastholde fokus. Der kan vi hver især bakke op. Vi kan skrive, vi kan demonstrere. Vi kan holde konferencer som denne her i dag. Vi kan være aktive på de sociale medier for at yde vores lille – i virkeligheden jo fattige – bidrag til at holde kampen i live og vise både det iranske folk og det formørkede præstestyre, hvor vi står. Det kan vi gøre.”
Jeg gjorde, hvad Lars Løkke Rasmussen havde opfordret til, da jeg udførte min performance foran den iranske ambassade. Men bagefter vendte regeringens mænd ryggen til mig.
(Justitsminister Peter Hummelgaard, til B.T. den 25. august 2023:)
“Jeg vil opfordre hende og andre kunstnere til at skabe noget, øh skrive noget, øh male noget, øh hugge noget i sten, øh lave noget musik, hvad ved jeg. I stedet for at ødelægge ting.”
Mange andre kunne godt forstå, hvorfor min performance måtte være, som den var. Man kan ikke bruge ord i en protest mod undertrykkelse, der netop er skabt af ord. I dette tilfælde: Koranens ord.
Derfor skulle bogen og ordene flås fra hinanden. Jeg gjorde dét, de undertrykte kvinder ikke selv kan gøre uden at blive henrettet.
- Det er forkert at vise mere hensyn over for genstande end overfor menneskekroppen.
- Det er forkert at kriminalisere handlinger, blot fordi de kan blive misbrugt til ANDRES misinformation.
- Det er forkert at begrænse frie borgere i at protestere på vegne af verdens undertrykte.
- Det er forkert at beskytte bøger skrevet af mænd, så længe de misbruges til undertrykkelse af kvinder.
Lad os danskere være det gode eksempel.
Lad os minde hinanden om, at evne forpligter. Det gælder både kampen for klimaet, kampen for ucensureret kunst, og kampen for ligeret og menneskerettigheder.
Regeringens lovforslag er en fejltagelse.
Transcription of the above video
Lars Løkke Rasmussen has made it clear that it is misinformation that makes it necessary to intervene:
(Lars Løkke Rasmussen, TV2 Nyhederne, July 30, 2023:)
“When we deploy police around a single demonstrator who is burning a Koran, it is translated into Denmark being behind this. And that simply won’t do.”
I understand the frustration. It is not okay when others lie about us.
(Lars Løkke Rasmussen, TV2 Nyhederne, July 30, 2023:)
“We have Islamic State, and we have Al-Qaeda and all sorts of people who are running this through a misinformation machine.”
We also saw this kind of misinformation during the Mohammed crisis in 2006. A photo was shown as proof of Danes’ contempt for Muslims. But the photo had nothing to do with Denmark or Mohammed. It was from a city festival somewhere in France. This lie was even spread by men living in Denmark. These men were never convicted.
On the other hand, anyone who protests against the oppression of women may soon be convicted. At least if they allow themselves to do violence to objects that symbolize the power on which most societies that oppress women are based: the so-called holy books. Written by men, for men.
A performance like the one I did in front of the Iranian embassy on August 5 would be criminal.
My performance was a protest. And Lars Løkke Rasmussen can also explain why it was necessary:
(Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Iran conference on October 17, 2022:)
“Iran – although the competition is tough – stands out as one of the world’s most despicable and darkened regimes, where tyranny and brutal violence are the order of the day. When an oppressed people risk their lives and reach out for freedom, we must do what we can to seize them. Do what we can, to make it happen.”
These were the words of Lars Løkke Rasmussen in his opening speech at the Iran Conference at Christiansborg on October 17, 2022. The purpose of the conference was to focus on the Iranian women’s struggle for freedom.
(Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Iran Conference on October 17, 2022:)
“Firstly – and this is where we can each make a contribution – this is where we can keep the world’s attention intact. And this is important in a time of many crises and a media landscape that shifts from day to day, where it’s hard to stay focused. That’s where each of us can help. We can write, we can demonstrate. We can hold conferences like this one today. We can be active on social media to make our small – in reality, poor – contribution to keep the struggle alive and to show both the Iranian people and the eclipsed clerical regime where we stand. We can do that.”
I did what Lars Løkke Rasmussen had encouraged me to do when I performed in front of the Iranian embassy. But afterwards, the government men turned their backs on me.
(Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard, to B.T. on August 25, 2023:)
“I would encourage her and other artists to create something, uh write something, uh paint something, uh carve something in stone, uh make some music, whatever. Instead of destroying things.”
Many others could understand why my performance had to be the way it was. You can’t use words in a protest against oppression that is created by words. In this case: the words of the Quran.
Therefore, the book and the words had to be torn apart. I did what the oppressed women themselves cannot do without being executed.
- It is wrong to show more consideration to objects than to the human body.
- It is wrong to criminalize actions simply because they can be misused for OTHER people’s misinformation.
- It is wrong to restrict free citizens from protesting on behalf of the oppressed of the world.
- It is wrong to protect books written by men as long as they are misused to oppress women.
Let us Danes set a good example.
Let’s remind each other that ability obliges. This applies to the fight for the climate, the fight for uncensored art, and the fight for equal rights and human rights.
The government’s bill is a mistake.
Regeringen åbner for trusler og øget risiko
(English version below this text)
Regeringens reviderede lovforslag åbner en uhyggelig dør for udskamning og trusler mod kunstnere, der arbejder og har arbejdet med religionskritisk kunst. Alle andre end kunstneren selv får nemlig frit spil til at udbrede kunstneres ulovliggjorte værker til det formål, som tjener dem bedst. Det kunne være for at få klik til en nyhedsside, eller det kunne være for at rejse en hadsk stemning mod kunstneren. At regeringen åbner for denne mulighed er et udtryk for mangel på respekt for kunsten, men det er også personfarligt.
Kunstnere, der beskæftiger sig med religionskritisk kunst, har som grundvilkår at skulle leve med en høj grad af udskamning samt volds- og dødstrusler mod deres person. Den trussel bliver endnu større, når enhver fremover kan viderebringe fotos og video af værker med henblik på at skænde den kunstner, som “ikke en gang overholder sit eget lands love”.
Fotos og video som kunstneren ikke en gang selv må formidle, kan bruges til at underminere kunstneres integritet. Kunstneren har dermed ikke mulighed for at gå i rette med andres bevidste vildledninger af værkers indhold eller kontekst. Fredløsheden har indfundet sig – i Danmark af alle steder.
Regeringens reviderede lovforslag gør mine mest centrale kunstværker ulovlige og stækker min mulighed for at virke i mit eget land, Danmark – for at tækkes de kræfter, som mine forældre reddede mig fra, da de flygtede hertil fra Iran.
Below in English:
Government opens the door to threats and increased risk
The government’s revised bill opens a scary door for shaming and threats against artists who work and have worked with art critical of religion. Anyone other than the artist themselves will be given free rein to distribute their illegalized works for whatever purpose serves them best. It could be to get clicks to a news site, or it could be to raise hateful sentiment against the artist. For the government to allow this option is a sign of disrespect for the arts, but it is also personally dangerous.
Artists who engage in art that criticizes religion have to live with a high degree of shaming and threats of violence and death against their person as a basic condition. This threat becomes even greater when anyone can now disseminate photos and videos of works in order to shame the artist who “does not even obey the laws of his own country”.
Photos and videos that the artist is not even allowed to disseminate can be used to undermine the integrity of the artist. This leaves the artist with no recourse against others’ deliberate misrepresentation of the content or context of their work. Lawlessness has set in – in Denmark of all places.
The government’s revised bill makes my most important works of art illegal and reduces my ability to work in my own country, Denmark – to appease the forces that my parents saved me from when they fled here from Iran.