Jyllands-Posten: “Moslem group ready to take some blame”
Jyllands-Posten, February 14, 2006
Moslem group ready to take some blame
By Lars Nørgaard Pedersen
Danish Moslems are now ready to assume part of the responsibility for the escalation of the cartoon issue.
Following harsh criticism, the group of Danish Moslems who spread the story of the cartoons in the Middle East, is now ready to assume a third of the responsibility for the final result of boycots, flagburnings and arson of Danish embassies which resulted from the publication of the 12 cartoons in Jyllands-Posten.
The spokesman for the Danish Moslem group, 28-year-old Ahmed Akkari who claims to represent 27 Moslem organizations tells Jyllands-Posten that he is ready to accept "a third of the blame" for the escalating conflict if Jyllands-Posten and the Danish Government accepts that the rest is theirs. Ahmed Akkari explains that this is an attempt to get into a dialogue.
"With this concrete action we are attempting to show that we bear part of the blame in order to achieve resolution to this crisis. We want to show that we aren’t running. In fact, we have been trying to do that for the last two weeks," says Ahmed Akkari.
By this, he refers to the attempts the group repeatedly has made to get into a dialogue, by inviting the Editor-in-Chief of Jyllands-Posten Carsten Juste to a debate, by suggesting they meet with Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and by writing a letter to Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller.
But Ahmed Akkari feels that the group is not being heard. "We constantly try to participate in news programs. But we don’t feel that we are able to get into a dialogue with anybody. Therefore, we invite them to come to us by constantly making suggestions," Ahmed Akkari says.
Jyllands-Posten would like to have known if this means that the Danish Imams admit that the tour the delegations made to the Middle East was what made the crisis erupt, if they are planning to make any other tours and if this is only an attempt to further profile themselves. But Ahmed Akkari is a busy man: "This is what you get."
The group of Danish Moslems has for over four months been trying to get Jyllands-Posten to apologize for the publication of the cartoons.
Update: See The Brussels Journal for commentary
Danish Muslims to Accept Partial Responsibilty for Conflict
Danish Muslims want to say they’re sorry. Sort of. Kinda like the abusive husband who says, I’m sorry for hitting you but you’ve got to admit you were being a bitch and provoked me. Yeah, exactly like that. Agora:he spokesman…
Trackback by The Jawa Report — February 14, 2006 @ 7:02 pm
This pleases me. 33-and-one-third-percent pleased. I have to run now, going to see if I can locate the other two-thirds. I’ll get back to you as soon as it’s found. . .
Comment by Joseph — February 14, 2006 @ 9:46 pm
Muslims Create Islamophobes, Then Want Islamophobes Punished
An article by Paul Belien with Filip van Laenen (Oslo)Last Saturday’s riots in Antwerp, when Moroccan “youths” went on the rampage in Antwerp’s historical center, destroying cars and beating up reporters, has led to frustration among police office
Trackback by The Brussels Journal — February 14, 2006 @ 10:38 pm
And who will take responsibility for the other 2 thrids?
Comment by jamal — February 15, 2006 @ 2:12 am