Jesper Langballe
Encyclopedia
Jesper Marquard Langballe (born 31 August 1939) is a retired Danish
Lutheran priest, author and politician who represented the right-wing populist Danish People's Party
in the Danish parliament, Folketinget, from 2001 to 2011. Langballe, who was convicted of libel and incitement to hatred towards Muslims, was elected in the Viborg
constituency. His son Christian Langballe was elected to the Folketinget in 2011.
as the son of physician
Mogens Marquard Langballe and housewife Agnete Langballe, née Wolfhagen. He is the cousin of Søren Krarup
, another MP for Dansk Folkeparti.
He was educated as a journalist
at Skive Venstreblad 1959-61 and Ringkøbing Amts Dagblad 1962-63 and as a priest at the Ministry for Ecclesiastical Affairs institute 1972-75. He worked as a journalist at Jyllands-Posten
1964-72 as cultural reporter and back page editor doing political satire. Later he worked as a priest in Thorning-Grathe parish 1975-2007. He has since 1982 been a co-editor and writer at the fundamentalist evangelical religious periodical Tidehverv.
.
In this context he has, for instance, stated as follows about the wishes of the Catholic
church in Denmark to have its member contributions collected alongside state taxes, like the state Lutheran Church of Denmark:
, chairman of Trykkefrihedsselskabet (the Free Press Society), in the Danish newspaper Berlingske Tidende
stating that:
These controversial statements were later to be moderated by Langballe following pressure from party chairman Pia Kjærsgaard
, and he expressed his regrets about the phrasing - while he still supported the general message of the statement. During the general uproar following the statements, city council member in Viborg for the Danish People's Party, Rikke Cramer Christiansen, decided to leave the party in protest.
is seen by Jesper Langballe as an imminent threat to Denmark and Europe:
In his original piece in Berlingske Tidende
(mentioned above) Langballe explicitly referred to the book 1400-års krigen (The 1400 Year War), as well as referring to the book Mødom på mode (Fashionable Virginity) written by Danish author Kristina Aamand and her husband Asif Uddin.
1400-års krigen is written by the above mentioned Lars Hedegaard
along with Langballe's party fellow Mogens Camre
. The summary of the book says (in English):
As opposed to Lars Hedegaard og Mogens Camre, Kristina Aamand has denounced Jesper Langballe's use of her book.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Lutheran priest, author and politician who represented the right-wing populist Danish People's Party
Danish People's Party
The Danish People's Party is a political party in Denmark which is frequently described as right-wing populist by political scientists and commentators. The party is led by Pia Kjærsgaard...
in the Danish parliament, Folketinget, from 2001 to 2011. Langballe, who was convicted of libel and incitement to hatred towards Muslims, was elected in the Viborg
Viborg, Denmark
Viborg , a town in central Jutland, Denmark, is the seat of both Viborg municipality and Region Midtjylland. Viborg is also the seat of the Western High Court, the High Court for the Jutland peninsula...
constituency. His son Christian Langballe was elected to the Folketinget in 2011.
Biography
Langballe was born in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
as the son of physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
Mogens Marquard Langballe and housewife Agnete Langballe, née Wolfhagen. He is the cousin of Søren Krarup
Søren Krarup
Søren Krarup is a Danish pastor, writer, politician and Member of Parliament for the Danish People's Party from 2001....
, another MP for Dansk Folkeparti.
He was educated as a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
at Skive Venstreblad 1959-61 and Ringkøbing Amts Dagblad 1962-63 and as a priest at the Ministry for Ecclesiastical Affairs institute 1972-75. He worked as a journalist at Jyllands-Posten
Jyllands-Posten
Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten , commonly shortened to Jyllands-Posten or JP, is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper. It is based in Viby, a suburb of Århus, and with a weekday circulation of approximately 120,000 copies, it is among the largest-selling newspaper in Denmark...
1964-72 as cultural reporter and back page editor doing political satire. Later he worked as a priest in Thorning-Grathe parish 1975-2007. He has since 1982 been a co-editor and writer at the fundamentalist evangelical religious periodical Tidehverv.
Views on church politics
Langballe has been spokesman on church affairs for the Danish People's Party in the last few years and has positioned himself as a strong proponent for the privileged status of the Danish National Church and its close connection to the state, described in the Danish constitutionConstitution of Denmark
The Constitutional Act of Denmark is the Kingdom of Denmark's constitution, or fundamental law. Originally verified in 1849, the last revision was signed on 5 June 1953 as "the existing law, for all to unswerving comply with, the Constitutional Act of Denmark".-Idea and structure:The main...
.
In this context he has, for instance, stated as follows about the wishes of the Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church in Denmark to have its member contributions collected alongside state taxes, like the state Lutheran Church of Denmark:
The tax collection is a part of the state backing, and it shall not be provided for other religious communities. If you start doing this, then what about other private associations? In this context we are talking about an association with a religious purpose. But it might as well be a handball club.
Views on Islam and muslims
In January 2010, Jesper Langballe defended controversial statements by Lars HedegaardLars Hedegaard
Lars Hedegaard Andersen is a Danish cricketer. Hedegaard is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm medium pace. He was born at Grenå, Århus County....
, chairman of Trykkefrihedsselskabet (the Free Press Society), in the Danish newspaper Berlingske Tidende
Berlingske Tidende
Berlingske, previously known as Berlingske Tidende , is a Danish national daily newspaper based in Copenhagen...
stating that:
Of course Lars Hedegaard should not have said that we see muslim fathers raping their daughters, when the reality rather seems to be that they simply kill them (the so called honor killingHonor killingAn honor killing or honour killing is the homicide of a member of a family or social group by other members, due to the belief of the perpetrators that the victim has brought dishonor upon the family or community...
s) – and besides that turn a blind eye to uncles raping them.
These controversial statements were later to be moderated by Langballe following pressure from party chairman Pia Kjærsgaard
Pia Kjærsgaard
Pia Merete Kjærsgaard is a Danish politician. She is a co-founder and current leader of the Danish People's Party, a nativist, national conservative political party in Denmark...
, and he expressed his regrets about the phrasing - while he still supported the general message of the statement. During the general uproar following the statements, city council member in Viborg for the Danish People's Party, Rikke Cramer Christiansen, decided to leave the party in protest.
Fear of islamization and self-censorship
Islam and islamizationIslamization
Islamization or Islamification has been used to describe the process of a society's conversion to the religion of Islam...
is seen by Jesper Langballe as an imminent threat to Denmark and Europe:
Islam and Christianity cannot be reconciled. And they haven't been able to during the 1500 years that Islam has been in existence. I see the religion Islam as a threat to any society where it settles.
As a member of the Danish parliament I have eagerly contributed to integration work and I wish it all the best. But you shouldn't, trying to help integration, subject yourself to self-censorship and stop talking about real problems.
If islamization is allowed to go on unhindered in Denmark, there is definitely a risk that in a few years we are subjected to sharia. Of course there is.
In his original piece in Berlingske Tidende
Berlingske Tidende
Berlingske, previously known as Berlingske Tidende , is a Danish national daily newspaper based in Copenhagen...
(mentioned above) Langballe explicitly referred to the book 1400-års krigen (The 1400 Year War), as well as referring to the book Mødom på mode (Fashionable Virginity) written by Danish author Kristina Aamand and her husband Asif Uddin.
1400-års krigen is written by the above mentioned Lars Hedegaard
Lars Hedegaard
Lars Hedegaard Andersen is a Danish cricketer. Hedegaard is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm medium pace. He was born at Grenå, Århus County....
along with Langballe's party fellow Mogens Camre
Mogens Camre
Mogens Niels Juel Camre is a Danish politician and former Member of the European Parliament with the Danish People's Party , a Vice-Chairman of the Union for a Europe of Nations and sat on the European Parliament's Committee on Budgetary Control and its Committee on Employment and Social...
. The summary of the book says (in English):
Lars Hedegaard and Mogens Camre analyze, for the first time in Danish, the Islamic war theory, strategy and tactics in its full extent. Militarily, theologically, historically, psychologically.
The book shows how badly prepared the West is for the new jihadJihadJihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
, a jihadJihadJihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
far more sophisticated than earlier Islamic conquest attempts. If the EU and the West do not soon awake, it will ultimately mean the end of freedom.
The authors also show that even though Islam is a skillful and determined opponent, we still have the opportunity for action if we want to avoid the destiny that has fallen upon all other non-Muslim populations having come under the iron heel of Islam.
As opposed to Lars Hedegaard og Mogens Camre, Kristina Aamand has denounced Jesper Langballe's use of her book.
Selected works (in Danish)
- Contribution to the anthology Modstand og frihed (Resistance and Freedom), 1983.
- Contribution to the anthology Og give dig fred. Om Kristendom og fredsbevægelser (And grant you peace. About Christianity and Peace movements), 1984.
- Niels Blicher - en 1700-tals præst (Niels Blicher - an 18th Century Priest), 2000
- Anlangendes et menneske: Blichers forfatterskab - selvopgør og tidsopgør (Regarding a Man: Blicher's Authorship - battling himself and battling the times), 2004.