Danish Cooking School Tells Muslim Students To Eat Pork Or Dont Graduate

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Danish Cooking School Tells Muslim Students To Eat Pork Or Dont Graduate

A culinary school in Denmark is forcing its Muslim students to taste pork and wine, both banned in Islam, or else they will not be able to graduate from the school.

Ä°kram Korkmaz, the son of Turkish immigrants in Denmark, recently enrolled in the Copenhagen Hospitality College in Valby to fulfill his childhood dream of being a cook. Shortly after he began school, Korkmaz was asked to cook meals that include pork. Being very familiar with Danish culture, Korkmaz successfully cooked these meals, but this did not satisfy the college administration, which asked him to taste pork. When Korkmaz refused to taste pork on religious grounds, his instructors told him that he cannot graduate from the school unless he tastes pork and wine.

"I was very disturbed when my instructor asked me to taste pork and wine. When I visited the vice principal of the school to complain about the issue, he told me the same thing. As a last resort, I went to the school's principal, but he also told me that all the students in the school have to taste the food they cook," Korkmaz told Today's Zaman.

The Turkish man, who graduated from an imam-hatip high school in Turkey, also said the college administration had brought an imam to the school who told the Muslims that there is nothing wrong from the Islamic point of view in their tasting pork.

Korkmaz said when he tried to explain that Muslims are banned from eating pork, the school administrator reminded him of the statement of the imam who said Muslims can taste pork. "Perhaps some Muslim students believed what that imam said and tasted pork, but I will never do so," he said.

Korkmaz also said the school discriminates against Muslim students, asking them to become workers instead of cooks. He said two Iraqi Muslim students had to quit school due to pressure from the school administration. According to Soren Kühlwein Kristiansen, the school principal, there is nothing wrong in Muslims' eating pork. Speaking to Danish state TV DR, he said if the students in the college want to graduate from the school, they have to taste all the food they are asked to cook.

Kristiansen also said students who do not taste pork will not get an internship, making it impossible for them to graduate.

Nevertheless, there are many restaurants run by Muslims in Denmark, where more than 300,000 Muslims live. Korkmaz said he was accepted by the first restaurant he applied to as an intern.

Thanks to support from his wife, Britt Maria Christensen, Korkmaz filed a complaint against the Copenhagen Hospitality College with the Danish Ministry of Education. The ministry is to respond to Korkmaz's complaint within 14 days.
 

pmaitra

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It's a cooking school and it is Europe, especially Denmark. This is a tricky situation.

Was the student made aware of what was expected of him when he enrolled? If no, then the school should arrange for his graduation with skills in all kinds of cooking except those that involve pork. In that case, he might not be hired by a Danish restaurant, but he will qualify to open a Middle Eastern or Mediterranean restaurant. On the other hand, if he was aware of what the requirements are (and yes, AFAIK, cooking courses require the cook to taste his own food), then I think he made a bad choice in choosing the school.

Hope this gets settled amicably.
 
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The offensive cartoon a few years ago that infuriated the Islamic world were also from Denmark
maybe this is just coincidental?
 

pmaitra

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Good point.

I guess many Islamic countries cut all diplomatic and trade relations with Denmark and they are getting back by saying, "we will do what we feel is right as per our values."

I do remember Denmark strongly defended the cartoonist saying they hold the right to freedom of expression very high and would not let anyone tamper with that. I think they tend to get too literal when interpreting their values, but then, the same can be said about the Saudi Wahhabi preachers.
 
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Good point.

I guess many Islamic countries cut all diplomatic and trade relations with Denmark and they are getting back by saying, "we will do what we feel is right as per our values."

I do remember Denmark strongly defended the cartoonist saying they hold the right to freedom of expression very high and would not let anyone tamper with that. I think they tend to get to literal when interpreting their values, but then, the same can be said about the Saudi Wahhabi preachers.
This is a strange dichotomy for Denmark viewed as a liberal open minded country the first
country in the world to give gay marriage licenses and then on the other hand this kind of view
which would be considered racist or offensive?
 

pmaitra

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This is a strange dichotomy for Denmark viewed as a liberal open minded country the first
country in the world to give gay marriage licenses and then on the other hand this kind of view
which would be considered racist or offensive?
They are indeed liberal. They are so liberal, that they are a bunch of radicals when it comes to defending their liberalism. :lol:
 

Blackwater

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They should contact "Thedar of Islam" Pak :taunt1:

yes pak should step into this,its a thakedari call:taunt1::taunt1::taunt1:

Interestingly 90% Muslims in Denmark are from napak-land
 

Ray

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They should not have to eat pork or drink wine.

But then they should be taught Oriental Muslim cuisine and not the western ones!
 

amitkriit

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Live and Let live. Forcing somebody to change his preference, clothing, diet is not fair if it doesn't become a public nuisance. Westerners are generally hypocrites for them Liberal="Their way of living".
 

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