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]

Gravers Pedersen (front) in 2008

Activities

Demonstrations

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

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

1. Berntzen, Lars-Erik (2019). Liberal Roots of Far Right Activism: The Anti-Islamic Movement in the 21st Century. Routledge. p. 173. ISBN 9781000707960.
2. Sharify-Funk, Meena (2022). Muslim Women in Contemporary North America: Controversies, Clichés, and Conversations. Taylor & Francis. p. 94. ISBN 9781000801446.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Townsend, Mark (14 April 2012). "Far-right anti-Muslim network on rise globally as Breivik trial opens". The Guardian.
7. "Daniel Poohl: Koranbrännarna bryr sig inte om yttrandefriheten". Expo (in Swedish). 6 September 2020.
8. Sandvik, Siv (14 December 2012). "Dette er mannen som trekker i trådene i islamhatbevegelsen". NRK (in Norwegian).
9. 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.
10. Kaplan, Jeffrey; Lööw, Heléne; Malkki, Leena, eds. (2017). Lone Wolf and Autonomous Cell Terrorism. Routledge. p. 213. ISBN 9781317530428.
11. "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.
12. "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.
13. Bergmann, Marie (21 May 2010). "Anders Gravers Pedersen væltet omkuld under demonstration". TV2 Nord (in Danish). Archived from the original on 10 July 2011.
14. Hannus, Martha (2012). Counterjihadrörelsen– en del av den antimuslimska miljön (in Swedish). Expo Research. p. 86. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022.
15. Lepperød, Trond (5 August 2012). "Breiviks meningsfeller i Stockholms gater". Nettavisen (in Norwegian).
16. Løkken, Tor (6 February 2013). "Forventer drabsforsøg". TV 2 Nord (in Danish).
17. Haslund, Elisabeth Arnsdorf (14 November 2007). "Højrefløjs-løsgængere led nederlag". Berlingske (in Danish).
18. 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.
19. "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.