A controversial speech that has sparked intense debate and accusations of religious social control has been removed from the internet. The speech, delivered earlier this month at the Islamic Community (Det Islamiske Trossamfund) by speaker and educator Ahmed Yasin, urged Muslim students to avoid introductory and major exams and encouraged them to skip classes to attend Friday prayers. Furthermore, students were advised to form communities with like-minded individuals to better uphold their own values.

Both critics and media outlets have attempted to obtain a comment from Ahmed Yasin, but without success. Instead, the Islamic Community issued a written statement acknowledging that the speech contained “inappropriate expressions,” and that Ahmed Yasin has been informed that the community does not endorse calls to skip classes.

Bilal Assaad from the Islamic Community announced on Monday that they have requested the webmaster to remove the speech from their website to avoid any misunderstandings, which has now been accomplished.

Henrik Kokborg, an expert in integration, listened to the speech before its removal and assessed it as a “classic example of a citizenship-denying speech.” B.T., a Danish newspaper, attempted to reach out to Minister of Education Mattias Tesfaye (Social Democrats, S) for a comment, but he was unable to participate in an interview. However, Minister of Integration Kaare Dybvad (Social Democrats, S) has commented on the issue and discussed the influence of mosques on society in a conversation with Astrid Johanne Høg from the Civil Tabloid, where he was asked how to handle mosques that potentially undermine societal values.