Anders Gravers Pedersen
Anders Gravers Pedersen (born 13 May 1960) is a Danish anti-Islam activist.[1][2] He is the chairman and founder of Stop Islamisation of Denmark (SIAD), and leader of Stop Islamisation of Europe (SIOE).[3][4] He also established transatlantic connections with Stop Islamization of America (SIOA)[5] and Stop Islamization of Nations (SION).[6]
Activities[edit]
Demonstrations[edit]
Gravers Pedersen has been instrumental in forming the street-based activist parts of the counter-jihad movement since he founded Stop Islamisation of Denmark (SIAD) in 2005.[7] He founded the organisation in response to seeing television images of Muslims burning the Danish flag as part of to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy.[8] He was formerly a member of the anti-immigration policy-focused Danish Association, but founded SIAD as he wanted more action.[9] With SIAD, he helped organise the first international counter-jihad conference in Copenhagen in 2007 along with the Center for Vigilant Freedom (CVF).[9][10]
Gravers Pedersen founded Stop Islamisation of Europe (SIOE) following the 2007 conference together with English activist Stephen Gash.[8][9] In the capacity of leading SIOE, SIAD and Gravers Pedersen were each sentenced to pay fines of 10,000 kr in 2008 for violating a court order against using Kurt Westergaard's Muhammad cartoon at a rally.[11][12]
In 2010, he helped form Stop Islamization of America (SIOA) with the bloggers Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer.[8] The same year, Gravers Pedersen was assaulted at a rally in Aalborg.[13] He participated in staging a rally and arranging a counter-jihad demonstration along with the English Defence League (EDL), including Tommy Robinson, and numerous other international activists in Aarhus in March 2012.[4][14] In August 2012, he participated in an international counter-jihad rally in Stockholm along with Robinson, the EDL, Geller, Spencer, and the newly founded Stop Islamization of Nations (SION) among others.[8][15]
Gravers Pedersen said in 2013, that due to his criticism of Islam, he has to live on a secret address, and that he has to have bodyguards when appearing in public.[16]
Contesting elections[edit]
Gravers Pedersen contested the municipal election in Aalborg in 2005, in which SIAD received a total of 1,172 votes.[14] In the 2007 Danish general election Pedersen stood in Jutland and gained 73 votes.[17] He attempted to run for a seat in the Danish parliament in 2009[18] and in 2012.[19]
References[edit]
- ^ Berntzen, Lars-Erik (2019). Liberal Roots of Far Right Activism: The Anti-Islamic Movement in the 21st Century. Routledge. p. 173. ISBN 9781000707960.
- ^ Sharify-Funk, Meena (2022). Muslim Women in Contemporary North America: Controversies, Clichés, and Conversations. Taylor & Francis. p. 94. ISBN 9781000801446.
- ^ d’Haenens, Leen; Mekki-Berrada, Abdelwahed, eds. (2023). Islamophobia as a Form of Radicalisation: Perspectives on Media, Academia and Socio-political Scapes from Europe and Canada. Leuven University Press. p. 31. ISBN 9789462703698.
- ^ a b Line Prasz (30 March 2012). "Anti-muslimer: Vi slår ikke først" [Anti-muslims: We won't strike first]. Politiken (in Danish). Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ^ Jørgensen, Lea Christel. "Interview med Anders Gravers fra SIAD" [Interview with Anders Gravers of SIAD]. DR (in Danish). Archived from the original on 1 March 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ^ Townsend, Mark (14 April 2012). "Far-right anti-Muslim network on rise globally as Breivik trial opens". The Guardian.
- ^ "Daniel Poohl: Koranbrännarna bryr sig inte om yttrandefriheten". Expo (in Swedish). 6 September 2020.
- ^ a b c d Sandvik, Siv (14 December 2012). "Dette er mannen som trekker i trådene i islamhatbevegelsen". NRK (in Norwegian).
- ^ a b c Othen, Christopher (2018). Soldiers of a Different God: How the Counter-Jihad Movement Created Mayhem, Murder and the Trump Presidency. Amberley. pp. 98–100. ISBN 9781445678009.
- ^ Kaplan, Jeffrey; Lööw, Heléne; Malkki, Leena, eds. (2017). Lone Wolf and Autonomous Cell Terrorism. Routledge. p. 213. ISBN 9781317530428.
- ^ "Stor straf for misbrug av Muhammed-tegning" [Hard punishment for misuse of Muhammad cartoon] (in Danish). Danish Union of Journalists. 17 December 2010. Archived from the original on 29 October 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ^ "Dømt for at misbruge Muhammed-tegning" [Sentenced for misuse of Muhammad cartoon] (in Danish). Nordjyske. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
- ^ Bergmann, Marie (21 May 2010). "Anders Gravers Pedersen væltet omkuld under demonstration". TV2 Nord (in Danish). Archived from the original on 10 July 2011.
- ^ a b Hannus, Martha (2012). Counterjihadrörelsen– en del av den antimuslimska miljön (in Swedish). Expo Research. p. 86. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022.
- ^ Lepperød, Trond (5 August 2012). "Breiviks meningsfeller i Stockholms gater". Nettavisen (in Norwegian).
- ^ Løkken, Tor (6 February 2013). "Forventer drabsforsøg". TV 2 Nord (in Danish).
- ^ Haslund, Elisabeth Arnsdorf (14 November 2007). "Højrefløjs-løsgængere led nederlag". Berlingske (in Danish).
- ^ Tobias Stern Johansen (21 February 2009). "Islam-fjendsk forening vil i Folketinget" [Anti-islamic organisation runs for Folketinget] (in Danish). Kristeligt Dagblad. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
- ^ "Løsgænger ikke inviteret med til vælgermøder" [Partyless candidate not invited to voter rallies]. Nordjyske (in Danish). 14 May 2012. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2012.