DR is facing political criticism for renting out DR Koncerthuset to a concert with the musician Isam B, scheduled for March 11, 2027.
DR reported on September 2 that the Social Democrats’ immigration spokesperson, Thomas Skriver Jensen, has appealed directly to the broadcaster. He said DR should assess whether a man who undermines democracy and sides with the most extreme Islamists should perform in its venue.
The concert is arranged by Fyns Musikkontor and is booked into DR Koncerthuset in Copenhagen. The criticism follows recent comments by Isam B, who said that wearing a niqab is feminist and compared it to being a ninja.
According to DR, those remarks filled Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen with indignation. She wrote on Facebook that the case confirmed her view that the fight against social control is important.
Government parties disagree
The question splits the governing coalition. Thomas Rohden, political spokesperson for Radikale Venstre, said he strongly disagrees with some of Isam B’s statements. He also said it is not the task of politicians to decide who plays at which venues.
Rohden pointed to the arm’s length principle and named Harald Bergsted and Michael Jackson as artists with flawed ethics who are still sung or listened to. He said cultural institutions, not politicians, should set the limits.
The dispute began the previous day, when Danmarksdemokraterne’s political spokesperson, Susie Jessen, raised the matter in Ekstra Bladet. She called it problematic that a venue partly financed by the public service budget provides a stage for him.
Her position has since been backed by De Konservative and Dansk Folkeparti. Conservative immigration spokesperson Christian Vigilius said DR should take Isam B off the bill. Mikkel Bjørn of Dansk Folkeparti said he fears the case will weaken DR’s credibility.
DR keeps the booking
DR has no plans to cancel. Gustav Lützhøft, DR’s editorial chief for culture, debate and music, said in a written reply that the case has two sides. On the editorial side, DR is obliged to cover the statements critically, including a P1 Debat program on the songbook question.
Lützhøft stressed that Koncerthuset’s commercial activities are separate from DR’s public service operations. He said an external booking is not an expression of support for the artist’s or organizer’s views. DR requires only that activities are lawful, that the genre fits the venue’s broad program, and that the rental is commercially defensible.
Music site GAFFA confirmed the concert date and repeated DR’s position that the booking is external and not funded by public service money. GAFFA added that DR assesses bookings on quality, audience relevance and commercial sustainability.
Thomas Skriver Jensen has also said the song “Ramadan i København” should be removed from Højskolesangbogen. Folkehøjskolernes Forening stated it will not remove the song, warning against rejecting art because of artists’ lives and opinions. The association noted that Harald Bergsted’s songs remain in the book despite his openly Nazi views.
