Democracy and denomination: democratic values among Muslim minorities and the majority population in Denmark

Abstract

Based on a survey of national minorities (immigrants as well as immigrant descendants) and the national majority, this article analyses the distribution and explanation of democratic values in Denmark. With respect to democratic rights, the analysis shows that Muslim immigrants and immigrant descendants score slightly lower on democratic principles and family democracy; however, they have more democratic values than the majority of the populations in Western Europe. Democratic values do not differ between immigrants and descendants of the same national group, and differences in values do not depend on immigrants’ length of stay in the host society. Among national minorities of mixed religious composition, the differences between the Muslim parts of these nationalities are larger than the differences among national groups. There is no sign of value clash between the Muslim minorities and the majority population with respect to democratic values. Differences in democratic values are explained by nationality, not religion.