Posted on 01/29/2006 3:31:17 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
DENMARK'S Prime Minister said his government could not act against satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed after Libya closed its embassy in Copenhagen amid growing Muslim anger over the dispute.
The newspaper Jyllands-Posten had not intended to insult Muslims when it published the drawings, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said, referring to an editorial on the paper's website in Danish and Arabic.
But while Mr Fogh Rasmussen tried to assuage Muslim anger, Libya yesterday closed its embassy in Denmark in protest at the drawings.
Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador from Denmark and Saudi religious leaders have urged a boycott of Danish products.
"Because the Danish media had continued to show disrespect to the Prophet Mohammed and because the Danish authorities failed to take any responsible action on that, Libya decided to close its embassy in Copenhagen," the Libyan Foreign Ministry said.
It also threatened to take unspecified "economic measures" against Denmark.
EU trade chief Peter Mandelson met a Saudi minister at a meeting in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos yesterday and "urged the minister to convey the seriousness of this issue to his government", his spokesman said.
"Any boycott of Danish goods would be seen as a boycott of European goods," spokesman Peter Power said.
Islam considers images of prophets disrespectful and caricatures of them blasphemous.
Since Jyllands-Posten published the drawings in September, the Danish government has repeatedly defended the right of free speech.
"The government can in no way influence the media. And the Danish government and the Danish nation as such can not be held responsible for what is published in independent media," Mr Fogh Rasmussen said.
The newspaper has not apologised for publishing the drawings, which have caused widespread anger among Muslims around the world.
In a demonstration on the West Bank, members of Fatah's al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades threatened Danes in the area and told them to leave immediately, the Danish news agency Ritzau reported.
The demonstrators burned the Danish flag and called on the Palestinian authorities to cut diplomatic ties with Denmark, Ritzau said.
"We are sorry the matter has reached these proportions and repeat that we had no intention to offend anyone, and that we as the rest of the Danish society respect freedom of religion," the newspaper's editor-in-chief, Carsten Juste, said in the editorial.
Mr Fogh Rasmussen was speaking at a joint news conference with visiting Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who said he was satisfied with the newspaper's explanation and the Danish Government's view.
"Prime Minister Rasmussen explained Denmark's position on that (the drawings), which was very satisfactory to me as a Muslim," Mr Karzai said.
The Danish Government has broad public backing for it stance on the cartoons.
An opinion poll showed that 79 per cent of Danes think Mr Fogh Rasmussen should not issue an apology and 62 per cent say the newspaper should not apologise.
Honestly they have to be the most intolerant people on the planet
Whoo Hoo Hoo as my black duck friend says ... they're great ...!!!! Made my rainy day better ....
Sounds like a personal problem to me.
Because the Danish media had continued to show disrespect to the Prophet Mohammed and because the Danish authorities failed to take any responsible action on that. . .
Objective responsible action would be to continue to show disrespect to the prophet mohammed.
Every person who values freedom must BUY DANISH PRODUCTS to offset the Muslim's boycott. I know they make Calrsberg and a couple of other beers, cheeses, Bang & Olufson speakers. If anybody has a good list please post it so Freepers can "buycott" the Danes.
Ahhhhh! The religion of peace and tolerance strikes again!
Also the only religion that Im aware of that doesnt offer the the same deal to converts as it does to the chosen ones.
Is there any other religion that belives in dhimmitude?
Anyone have that wizard of id strip with the gaurd getting
struck by lightening?
ZOT !
Zot who ?
"Saudi religious leaders have urged a boycott of Danish products."
What does Denmark produce? I'll have to add some of their products to my shoppng list.
didn`t they produce the tulip bulb craze of 1593?
What are they doing? and why?
Good for the Danes! Time for all of us to buy Danish!
http://hnn.us/blogs/entries/21097.html
first thing in the morning,
i`m having a danish.
They do this to honor the Imam Hussein, who was a grandson of the Prophet Muhammed (Fleas be Upon Him). The old coot actually had lots and lots of grandsons, because he slept around so much. Anyway, in 680 AD, the Imam Hussein was beheaded, and the Shiites didn't come to his aid, but ran away like frightened girls.
So they beat themselves up (literally) to say they are sorry.
I am not making this up.
Being retarded like most muslims. Brainwashed by a false violent religion which is in reality a moon cult of death.
Is "buycott" original with you?
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