Denmark refuses to apologise over Prophet cartoons
Denmark’s Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said on Sunday 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, Rasmussen said, referring to an editorial on the paper’s website in Danish and Arabic. Since Jyllands-Posten published the drawings in September, the Danish government has repeatedly defended the right of free speech. The newspaper has not apologised for publishing the drawings, which have caused widespread anger among Muslims around the world. Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador from Denmark and Saudi religious leaders have urged a boycott of Danish products. 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 on Sunday. The demonstrators burnt the Danish flag and called on the Palestinian authorities to cut diplomatic ties with Denmark, Ritzau 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 Fogh Rasmussen should not issue an apology and 62 per cent say the newspaper should not apologise. (Reuters,January 30, 2006)
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Well I think no apologise is needed. If the heads of these countries (including mine) don’t have the aspect of freedom for their people and their journalists why should they have the right to blame and force the others to be like them! The hard thing for me is being a Persian and living under the “Arab lover” regime of mullahs want to force Arabization and religions to the Persian land and people!…
Comment by a M From Iran — January 30, 2006 @ 1:33 pm
if you know who is mohammed you will change your openion
mohammed not ben laden or zwahery
mohammed lift abook “quran “if any one do not understand the quran what the Prophet Mohammed do?
Comment by t — January 30, 2006 @ 9:19 pm
Of course they should apologize. They offended us with the ‘freedom of opinion’ as their lame back up well it’s our religion and he’s our Prophet whose every muslims idol. How could they do such a thing?
Oh they’ll say Bin Laden this, Zawahery that how dare these muslims defend their religion? Well Sayedona Mohammed has nothing to do with their acts.
They have touched our pride and honor, I’m just another Muslim who wants them to at least apologize to the whole Islamic world.
Comment by Pride of a Muslim — January 31, 2006 @ 1:39 am
Dear muslim(s). The fact that we have freedom of speach, and a nongovernmental-controlled press is something we have fough for a long time. Of course it is regrettable that these drawings where made. It is my opinion that they never should have been drawn! I understand that your are offended by this - just as I as a christian is offended by palestenians burning the danish flag, which also represents a cross!
The danish will never apologize for an act that offend countries, in which some of them doesn’t even allow women to go alone outside, nor to have a private passport.
Because of these stands - I am certain that the danish government will not issue any kind of apology that extends beyond what is already said.
Comment by Michael (from denmark) — January 31, 2006 @ 8:50 am
why did you do this silly pictures to our prophet ……….pleaze say sorry to us plz
Comment by salwa — January 31, 2006 @ 9:54 am
If the Danish newspaper has offended the Jews by denying the holocust, the whole world would have condemned it just as they did to Ahmadi Najadi. It is better for all of us Muslims to be wiped off the earth than offend our Prophet.
Comment by M. S. — January 31, 2006 @ 10:54 am
i think that Denmark should apoligze. muslim countries have stopped denmark’s products into their country and i think that Denmark is regretting what they did!
Comment by Fatma — January 31, 2006 @ 11:34 am
I compare religion in this area as in Europe in the middle ages. Also as as BUSH’S - you are with us or you are our enemy and we should fight you and kill you
Comment by nabil marar — January 31, 2006 @ 12:03 pm
no they shouldn’t, the freedoms of the press must be protected over the freedoms of fundamentalist, who would never comprimise over such things. Although, I must say it was a bit naive of the paper to publish the cartoons without really knowing the full consequences. The same criticisms are made of other world religions, why should Islam be any different? Anb to be honest the cartoons won’t that ofensive anyways, it has being a complete over reaction, and i do feel sorry for the Danish government for having to apologise for press freedoms? just ridiculous.
Comment by Londonboy — January 31, 2006 @ 12:28 pm
mohamed(saws) is the person who give hope to us , who make us respect and love others whatever their religions ,as we respect isaac , and jesus they should respect mohamed (saws).
Comment by mostapha — January 31, 2006 @ 12:29 pm
We (the danish people and the goverment) shall not and will not apologize for a news paper in denmark printing pictures of the prohpet muhammed. The News paper it self should say they are sorry (And they did that yesterday) I cant see what the issue is any more. The news paper printed it, and finally they said they were sorry. The people and the goverment of denmark had NOTHING to go with the printing. Why should we say that we are sorry? And now when muslim are “paying back” by burning our flags and so, then you are not better than us. And now you will say, but it wasent the goverment who did that, why should they say that they are sorry for burning the flags then? they shouldn’t, just as the goverment of Denmark shouldn’t say they are sorry for the news paper bringing thoose pictures…
Comment by Jacob (from denmark) — January 31, 2006 @ 1:02 pm
Now the Danish newspaper has indeed apologized. It has apologized for offending, not for printing. Furthermore, the Danish PM has expressed that the pictures were to his personal distaste. This should be good enough for anyone still bearing a grudge. For me personally this incident has caused me to re-evaluate my earlier pro-palestinian feelings. I suspect I’m not alone in this.
Comment by Jana (Sweden) — January 31, 2006 @ 1:25 pm
It was not DENMARK who made these cartoons, but a private company who happens to reside in denmark - this have NOTHING to do with the dansih government, but only the company! Why are you forgetting this? What a company says has nothing to do with a country’s politics - do you not understand this??
Comment by Michael (from denmark) — January 31, 2006 @ 1:40 pm
Please continue the discussion at: http://forum.newspaperindex.com
Thanks
Hans
Comment by Hans Henrik Lichtenberg — January 31, 2006 @ 1:46 pm