Posted on 11/04/2005 3:36:37 AM PST by Eurotwit
Egypt discontinues dialogue with Denmark on human rights and discrimination because of cartoon dispute
A Danish newspaper's decision to print cartoons of Muslim prophet Mohammed have caused a diplomatic crisis between Denmark and Egypt, national broadcaster DR reported on Thursday. Egypt's ambassador in Libanon, Hussein Darrar, told news service AFP that Egypt had decided not to continue its dialogue with Denmark on human rights and discrimination.
The Egyptian ambassador in Denmark requested, along with ten other ambassadors of Muslim states, to meet with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen to discuss daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten's decision to print twelve caricatures of the prophet, an act considered blasphemous by many Muslims.
Rasmussen refused to meet with the ambassdors, saying that if they thought he had any power to influence what a national newspaper did and printed, the essence of Danish democracy had been lost on them.
Egyptian Embassy Councillor Mohab Nasr Mostafa Mahdy said he had not seen for himself what Darrar told reporters, but that he was certain it was based on the information Darrar had received on the matter.
'The Egyptian ambassador in Denmark has said that the case no longer rests with the embassy. It is now being treated at an international level. As far as I have been informed by my government, the cartoon case has already been placed on the agenda for the Islamic Conference Organisation's extraordinary summit in the beginning of December,' Mahdy said.
All is apparently not well in Lebanon either...
Egypt and Lebanon stop talks with Denmark
03. nov. 2005 15.23 English Opdat.: 03. nov. 2005 16.23
Cartoons of the prophet Mohammed which were published in newspaper Jyllands-Posten in September and which caused uproar in the Muslim community continue to cause controversy.
Now Egypt and Lebanon have taken issue with Denmark.
Egypt's ambassador in Lebanon, Hussein Darrar, after a meeting with the Lebanese foreign minister in which the issue was discussed, said "We have decided not to continue any dialogue with Denmark about human rights and discrimination and other such issues."
Two weeks ago 10 ambassadors in Denmark from mainly Muslim countries wrote to Prime Minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, saying the cartoons had offended them and asking for an apology from the newspaper. The newspaper refused to apologise, citing freedom of expression, an argument with Fogh Rasmussen has fully supported.
Skrevet af: Sue Hansen-Styles
And in another story where you have to read between the lines...But, the do mention the "zero tolerance" policy of the Århus riots...
Schoolchildren robbed and battered.
One in six schoolchildren has suffered physical violence and robbery, a new study finds
Going to school is no child's game for many children in Copenhagen, where beatings, kicks, robberies, and threats are everyday occurences, a new study of juvenile crimes in the city revealed.
Daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten reported on Friday that one in six children in grades 4-9 had been victim of serious violence, and one in three had been robbed. The perpetrators were normally their own age.
'This is entirely unacceptable. We need to ensure that school staff get the education they need to be better at handling conflicts and pass on the knowledge to children. They should be included in the problems' solutions, and their parent's should be involved, too,' said Per Bregengaard of the Red-Green Alliance, city councillor in charge of education and juvenile affairs.
Educating teachers and students in conflict solving is an expensive affair, and Bregengaard said DKK 10-15 million needed to be allotted in 2006 if the problem was to be solved.
Pia Allerslev, Liberal councillor in the city's educational committee, said she agreed that more funds were needed to solve the problem, but said much of it could be blamed on Bregengaard's policy.
'The study's results are just as shocking as we had feared. It goes to show that the left wing's spineless policy has failed completely,' she said.
Allerslev added that more discipline and consequence was needed to fight violence and crime amongst schools' students.
'Schools have so many sanction possibilities, which they rarely use. We should implement zero-tolerance towards behaviour of that sort in Copenhagen's schools, just as we know from Århus. It's about sending out the signal that we won't put up with just anything,' Allerslev said.
Oh dear, another stressful holiday season.
Let me just note that on my school calendar.
Thank you Eurotwit for the pings.
Islamic countries don't understand the concept of a free press.
Hehe. Looks like maybe I should do a few comic strips..
To put how wacky the ME is in perspective, it should also be kept in mind that Egypt is the most liberal and religiously tolerant of all of it's ME/Islamic neighbors. So much so that Egyptians tend to be the object of scorn from the other primarily Islamic countries (for this reason as well as the fact that their average citizen's are mostly dirt poor). So .... if Egypt is the sanest of the bunch and this is their reaction to a cartoon ...
you should do that, but dont sign your name. they do tend to hold major grudges, see salmon rushdie. but what do you expect when the guy is named after a fish? seriously, do the cartoons and sing john kerrys name to it, use a french flourish. that oughta calm the waters in gay paris just a bit,, huh?
Great quote.
They are "outraged" over this, but have little to say about Muslim outrageousness the world over. Typical.
I have to admit that I have been quite impressed with the Danish government in general, and Prime Minister Rasmussen particularly.
Cheers.
Egypt cuts off relations w/ Denmark? I fail to see where that's a bad thing... ;)
lol
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