When our family first arrived to the American Embassy in Copenhagen in September of 1998, there was a small pamphlet that had been left as a welcoming gift for us. It was titled “In Denmark It Could Not Happen”. This slim volume recounted the famous story of the Danish rescue of virtually the entire Jewish population of Denmark from under the very noses of their German occupiers. It was a story with which we were deeply familiar.
Our seven children had grown up with the legacy of both the horrors and heroism of the Holocaust. Their grandparents were Hungarian Holocaust survivors who owed their lives to the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of the great Swedish humanitarian, Raoul Wallenberg, and now we were coming to live in a country where hundreds, if not thousands, of “ordinary” Danish heroes had once joined forces to protect their neighbors and fellow citizens from deportation and death during one of the darkest chapters of history.
Over the next three years, we came to understand and love the spirit of this small “fairytale” kingdom of Hans Christian Andersen where people were admirably modest about themselves but bold in defense of the values they cherish.
Thus it was a terrible shock a few days ago to learn that it had happened in Denmark. Copenhagen had become the latest capital of Europe to experience a terror attack on the twinned symbols of free speech and Jewish life. Like the Paris attacks on Charlie Hebdo and the Hyper Cacher kosher market, the weekend assault in Copenhagen targeted a conference on free speech and a Jewish synagogue where a bat mitzvah ceremony was taking place.
Beyond the obvious expressions of sorrow and solidarity, the attacks demand that nations whose fundamental values have been assaulted by individuals and groups who would deploy terror to strangle freedom, must be prepared to defend their cherished values on all fronts.
During our tenure in Copenhagen, the presence of the FBI and other intelligence agencies was greatly expanded to assist Danish law enforcement with a variety of growing inter-state criminal threats. Back then we were concerned about human trafficking and the fundraising that was being done in Denmark in support of militant Islamic groups we knew were there. There has been a longstanding cooperation between the intelligence services of our two countries—indeed, among a wide network of countries facing similar terror threats, but the recent events demonstrate a dramatic change in focus to that of combating violent Islamist jihadists in our own back yards.
Going forward, there must be greater resources—legal and financial—devoted to identifying and stopping radical terror enclaves before they can attack. Europe should consider establishing a pan-European task force to address their shared threats. Such collaborations will be essential but they are also, by themselves, insufficient.
In both Europe and the United States we must recognize that, in the deepest sense, we are facing an existential threat. Not a threat of physical annihilation but an existential threat nonetheless.
While it is self-evident that we are not at war with the proud faith of Islam, it is equally clear that a small minority of depraved and vicious hijackers of that faith have declared war on the values of freedom, tolerance and pluralism that reside at the very heart of our societies. As it becomes increasingly dangerous to stand up for freedom of speech, expression and conscience, all of us will have to decide whether we are prepared to pay the price to defend these pillars of free and democratic societies.
We have no doubt that the people of Denmark will summon the courage and resolve to defend their proud commitment to fundamental freedoms. Moreover, they will do so while upholding their remarkable history of embracing all Danes, no matter their faith, race or ethnic heritage, as their fellow countrymen.
We feel very lucky that our only granddaughter was born in Denmark and this summer our next grandchild will likewise be a lucky native Danish-American. We pray for the sake of our grandchildren and all the children of Denmark that the same bravery and humanity that led the people of Denmark to risk their very lives in defense of their Jewish neighbors and friends will once again prevail as Denmark shows the world what it means to be their brother’s keeper.
About the authors: Richard N. Swett, FAIA is former US Ambassador to Denmark, former Member of Congress, Member of the APCO Worldwide International Advisory Council and author of “Leadership by Design: Creating an Architecture of Trust”. Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation of Human Rights and Justice and Adjunct Professor at Tufts University.
Photo by Michael Probst/AP
a global affairs media network
It Happened in Denmark
February 22, 2015
When our family first arrived to the American Embassy in Copenhagen in September of 1998, there was a small pamphlet that had been left as a welcoming gift for us. It was titled “In Denmark It Could Not Happen”. This slim volume recounted the famous story of the Danish rescue of virtually the entire Jewish population of Denmark from under the very noses of their German occupiers. It was a story with which we were deeply familiar.
Our seven children had grown up with the legacy of both the horrors and heroism of the Holocaust. Their grandparents were Hungarian Holocaust survivors who owed their lives to the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of the great Swedish humanitarian, Raoul Wallenberg, and now we were coming to live in a country where hundreds, if not thousands, of “ordinary” Danish heroes had once joined forces to protect their neighbors and fellow citizens from deportation and death during one of the darkest chapters of history.
Over the next three years, we came to understand and love the spirit of this small “fairytale” kingdom of Hans Christian Andersen where people were admirably modest about themselves but bold in defense of the values they cherish.
Thus it was a terrible shock a few days ago to learn that it had happened in Denmark. Copenhagen had become the latest capital of Europe to experience a terror attack on the twinned symbols of free speech and Jewish life. Like the Paris attacks on Charlie Hebdo and the Hyper Cacher kosher market, the weekend assault in Copenhagen targeted a conference on free speech and a Jewish synagogue where a bat mitzvah ceremony was taking place.
Beyond the obvious expressions of sorrow and solidarity, the attacks demand that nations whose fundamental values have been assaulted by individuals and groups who would deploy terror to strangle freedom, must be prepared to defend their cherished values on all fronts.
During our tenure in Copenhagen, the presence of the FBI and other intelligence agencies was greatly expanded to assist Danish law enforcement with a variety of growing inter-state criminal threats. Back then we were concerned about human trafficking and the fundraising that was being done in Denmark in support of militant Islamic groups we knew were there. There has been a longstanding cooperation between the intelligence services of our two countries—indeed, among a wide network of countries facing similar terror threats, but the recent events demonstrate a dramatic change in focus to that of combating violent Islamist jihadists in our own back yards.
Going forward, there must be greater resources—legal and financial—devoted to identifying and stopping radical terror enclaves before they can attack. Europe should consider establishing a pan-European task force to address their shared threats. Such collaborations will be essential but they are also, by themselves, insufficient.
In both Europe and the United States we must recognize that, in the deepest sense, we are facing an existential threat. Not a threat of physical annihilation but an existential threat nonetheless.
While it is self-evident that we are not at war with the proud faith of Islam, it is equally clear that a small minority of depraved and vicious hijackers of that faith have declared war on the values of freedom, tolerance and pluralism that reside at the very heart of our societies. As it becomes increasingly dangerous to stand up for freedom of speech, expression and conscience, all of us will have to decide whether we are prepared to pay the price to defend these pillars of free and democratic societies.
We have no doubt that the people of Denmark will summon the courage and resolve to defend their proud commitment to fundamental freedoms. Moreover, they will do so while upholding their remarkable history of embracing all Danes, no matter their faith, race or ethnic heritage, as their fellow countrymen.
We feel very lucky that our only granddaughter was born in Denmark and this summer our next grandchild will likewise be a lucky native Danish-American. We pray for the sake of our grandchildren and all the children of Denmark that the same bravery and humanity that led the people of Denmark to risk their very lives in defense of their Jewish neighbors and friends will once again prevail as Denmark shows the world what it means to be their brother’s keeper.
About the authors: Richard N. Swett, FAIA is former US Ambassador to Denmark, former Member of Congress, Member of the APCO Worldwide International Advisory Council and author of “Leadership by Design: Creating an Architecture of Trust”. Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation of Human Rights and Justice and Adjunct Professor at Tufts University.
Photo by Michael Probst/AP
