Posted on 01/05/2006 3:50:55 PM PST by dennisw
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Muslim leaders welcomed steps by Denmark on Wednesday to defuse a diplomatic row over newspaper cartoons that seemed to portray Prophet Mohammad as a terrorist.
A Muslim community spokesman and Egypt's ambassador in Copenhagen welcomed Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen's New Year address, in which he defended free speech but urged Danes to exercise the right without inciting hatred against Muslims.
Rasmussen's conciliatory words, which Copenhagen translated into Arabic and distributed to Middle Eastern countries, came after Arab foreign ministers last week condemned the Danish government for not acting against the Jyllands-Posten daily.
Denmark's largest newspaper ran 12 cartoons of Prophet Mohammad last September, including one in which he seems to be carrying a bomb in his turban. Islam considers images of Prophet Mohammad disrespectful and caricatures blasphemous.
"It's a very positive signal for the Arab world that he now addresses the issue and indirectly condemns Jyllands-Posten in his speech," Kasem Ahmad, spokesman for the Islamic Religious Community in Denmark told Reuters.
Egypt, which has led a diplomatic campaign against Denmark, was pleased by the translated statement.
"It is a positive step toward dialogue and I hope my own and other Arab governments view this as a positive signal," Egyptian ambassador Mona Omar Attia told the daily Politiken.
Rasmussen has consistently defended Denmark's tradition of free speech, which he said included the right to satirize all authorities, and refused to meet envoys of 11 Muslim states who wanted him to punish Jyllands-Posten.
He restated the defense in his New Year address but added free speech should be exercised "in such a manner that we do not incite hatred and cause fragmentation of the community that is one of Denmark's strengths."
Ahmad said he still wanted an official apology from the newspaper, but Jyllands-Posten's editor-in-chief Carsten Juste rejected the call.
"We can't apologize for the drawings. We live under Danish law and freedom of speech," he said. "But we didn't mean to offend anyone."
(Additional reporting by Tom Heneghan in Paris and Karin Lundback in Copenhagen)
And these are the folks the Dems are helping in their attacks on Bush.
I can't wait...
Wasn't this the guy who led a band of Arabs to pillage villages?
...
Nooo.... no terrorist here...
BARF! I'm getting so sick of this "multiculturalism is our strength" cliche. Does anyone in Denmark (or anyone in Europe --or America) actually believe in their hearts that Muslims have strengthened their community?
The Muslims have strengthened their "own" community by converts. In the U.S. a Saudi Prince "donated" 40 million dollars of blood money to Harvard and GWU (20 mil ea), to study Islam. I call it buying converts. As far as I know, the Idiots took the money. A very smart move by the Islamist. They will now control two of the most prominent and influencial colleges in the U.S. and also in our capital. They know what they are doing. Show the naive masses and new converts the "peaceful" side of Islam....then when they are converts, show the violent and hard core side of the Koran.
Tom
I know how to `assuage Muslim anger'.
Kill the bastards!
" upon such of those to whom the Scriptures have been given as believe not in God." Sura 9:29
"Strike off their heads then, and strike off from them every finger tip." - Sura 8:12
Don't make them mad! They're already commanded to murder allah mankind! Don't make them mad!
There's nothing worse than having an angry satan worshiper saw your head off.
But on the other hand if the slimes are happy maybe they'll use a sharp knife, and be mercifull!
Don't make them mad!
Aap aap ahh dap dap!!!!!
It's a religion of peace
It's a religion of peace
It aint Slim W, but this'll gitr done!
Kill A Commie For Mommie
Thanks
"South Park" is still the most popular show in other galaxies.
They've taken the French route.
I recognize Madmo and Allah bin Satan, but who are the other two?
Al Madhi & Isa Al-Maseeh?
They've taken the French route.
Please back up your view for that statement!??!
OTOH, I haven't seen Olgier le Dansk yawning and rubbing sleepers out of his eyes, either.
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