Danish Free Press Society

Danish Free Press Society
Formation2004
TypeFreedom of expression advocacy group
HeadquartersDenmark
Chairman
Aia Fog
Websitetrykkefrihed.dk

The Danish Free Press Society (Danish: Trykkefrihedsselskabet) is a Danish organisation founded in 2004 and originally led by Lars Hedegaard, that works in support of freedom of expression.[1] It presents an annual award, the Sappho Award.[1] The organisation has a publishing house, Trykkefrihedsselskabets Bibliotek, which focuses on research and criticism of Islam, and the organisation had about 800 members in 2010.[1]

Background and activities

The organisation was founded in 2004 by Lars Hedegaard, David Gress, Kai Sørlander, Søren Krarup and Jesper Langballe,[2] after Danish PEN objected to admit Hedegaard as a member due to his writings on Islam.[3] The organisation published an online magazine, Sappho, that was edited by Helle Merete Brix[4] and Katrine Winkel Holm.[1] Winkel Holm took over as chairman of the organisation in 2014 after Hedegaard was subjected to an assassination attempt.[5]

In 2009, the organisation reprinted the Muhammad cartoon drawn by Kurt Westergaard.[6]

The organisation formerly counted Venstre politician Søren Pind and Conservative politician Naser Khader among its advisory board members, but both left the organisation in 2009 after controversial comments on Muslims by the chairman Lars Hedegaard.[7]

The organisation was extended internationally with the International Free Press Society in 2009,[8][9] and has been described as a part of the counter-jihad movement.[9][10][11]

The Sappho Award has been awarded to people including Mark Steyn, Thilo Sarrazin, Ezra Levant, Roger Scruton, Olga Romanova and Tommy Robinson.[12]

Aia Fog became chairman of the organisation in 2018.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Nielsen, Peter-Kühn (28 April 2014). "Trykkefrihedsselskabet af 2004". Den store danske (in Danish).
  2. ^ "Hvad er Trykkefrihedsselskabet?". TV 2 (in Danish). Ritzau. 5 February 2013.
  3. ^ Pagh-Schlegel, Peter (13 March 2015). "Trykkefrihedsselskabet: Vi har brudt isen". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish).
  4. ^ Remar, Dorte (12 January 2008). "Den kæmpende mand". Kristeligt Dagblad (in Danish).
  5. ^ Kott, Sarah (28 February 2014). "Lars Hedegaard går af som formand for Trykkefrihedsselskabet". Jyllands-Posten (in Danish).
  6. ^ "Muhammed-karikaturer trykkes opp på nytt". Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). 8 April 2009.
  7. ^ "Pind forlader også Trykkefrihedsselskabet". Ekstra Bladet (in Danish). Ritzau. 22 December 2009.
  8. ^ Sedgwick, Mark (2019). Key Thinkers of the Radical Right: Behind the New Threat to Liberal Democracy. Oxford University. p. 175. ISBN 9780190877613.
  9. ^ a b Pertwee, Ed (October 2017). 'Green Crescent, Crimson Cross': The Transatlantic 'Counterjihad' and the New Political Theology (PDF). London School of Economics. pp. 129, 267. doi:10.21953/lse.xx0e1p4w3f3y.
  10. ^ Othen, Christopher (2018). Soldiers of a Different God: How the Counter-Jihad Movement Created Mayhem, Murder and the Trump Presidency. Amberley. p. 99. ISBN 9781445678009.
  11. ^ Berntzen, Lars Erik (2019). Liberal Roots of Far Right Activism: The Anti-Islamic Movement in the 21st Century. Routledge. p. 70. ISBN 9781000707960.
  12. ^ Lakmann, Cathrine (19 January 2020). "Dansk pris til britisk højrefløjsaktivist: 'Han er en ledende ytringsfrihedsforkæmper'". DR (in Danish).
  13. ^ Christensen, Anders Brønd (19 March 2018). "Trykkefrihedsselskabet får ny formand". Altinget (in Danish).