Danish Parliament's Naturalization Committee denied citizenship to a Danish-born Middle Eastern man suspected of having ties with an Islamic terrorist group, the Local reported.
According to the source, the Naturalization Committee decided to take a careful look at Belal El-Khatib's citizenship application after it was discovered that the man was in support of establishing Islamic law in Denmark.
"Belal El-Khatib shouldn't receive citizenship because he is an Islamist. And someone who wants to turn the Danish democracy into a caliphate shouldn't have citizenship in Denmark," the Committee's Chairman Christian Langballe said, according to Ritzau news agency.
When El-Khatib found out that his citizenship application was denied, he slammed the Naturalization Committee and accused Denmark of being undemocratic.
"I haven't done anything illegal. I contribute to society in many ways, but because one doesn't have the exact same outlook on life and values as certain politicians, it becomes a hindrance. It reminds me of a dictatorship," El-Khatib said, as cited by the Local.
Losing Passport for Fighting Against ISIL
Palani, a Danish citizen of Kurdish descent, travelled to Iraq to fight against ISIL alongside the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters. However, when she returned to Europe, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service took her passport away and forbade her from leaving Denmark.
The issue is controversial because Western countries, including Denmark, actually support Peshmerga militia groups.
"How can I pose a threat to Denmark and other countries by being a soldier in an official army that Denmark trains and supports directly in the fight against the Islamic State?" — Palani wrote on her Facebook account after losing her passport.
The young woman fell under the same law that denied Danish citizenship to El-Khatib. Passed in March, the law seeks to confiscate the passports of Danish citizens suspected of fighting overseas.
Palani is now planning to challenge the decision in court hoping to get her passport back.
