Agora

Jyllands-Posten, Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Danish Imams’ pictures were misleadingly attributed

by Lars Nørgaard Pedersen

The Danish Imams didn’t differentiate between which pictures were published in Jyllands-Posten and which pictures they had added to 43 pages they toured the Middle East with.

Spokesman for the Danish Imams Ahmed Akkari repeatedly claimed that they had marked which pictures where the ones they added and which were published. Among the added ones was the much discussed pig photograph.

Professor Helle Lykke Nielsen from the centre for Mideast Studies at the University of Southern Denmark has studied the document and she concludes that no differentiation was made and that one is inclined to think that the extra photograps had been published in Danish newspapers.

"The claim Akkari makes that their own photographs which hadn’t been published were were seperate from the rest is flat wrong. No other interpretation of the document seems plausible than to conclude that the extra photographs had in fact been published. This knowing or unknowing manipulation seems very serious to me. Their photographs have undoubtedly been a contributing factor to the uproar."

Organizations mixed up

Her review of the document also reveals that the document has no definite author, that the number of organizations supporting it is not clear and that cartoons from the back of Weekendavisen are claimed to have been published on the front page.

Ahmed Akkari "does not wish to comment".

Instead of telling you how much I hate the holocaust cartoons, I am going to participate in a g*bomb. So check this out iran holocaust cartoons or maybe this is better iran cartoons no I think this rules: iran holocaust denial

 

Hat tip: MVRW, Misha, Theo, MoonBat detector

Hrmmm.. Atlas Shrugs reports that Google is censoring the cartoon battles. She links to this site which tells you if your blog has been flagged for abuse. This is interesting because Jon Jay Ray reports that he thinks he is being censored. What is this evil slouching toward blogostania?

Update: Publius Pundit is addressing the congressional hearings on Google, Yahoo!, etc. I found this through him:

Lantos’ message: “your abhorrent activities in China are a disgrace. I simply do not understand how your corporate leadershp sleeps at night.” Citing the parallel between complying with Chinese censorship and complying with German government censorship of Nazi websites is “beneath contempt.” The German government is acting as democratic representative of the people. China has rubber stamp parliament, the Chinese government has no moral qualms about suppressing religious and political dissent. If the Chinese govt passes a law saying that all women are forbidden to use email will Google comply?

“These companies tell us that they will change China. But china has already changed them.”

The Register weigh in

Russian foreign minister cautions against Muslim-Christian split

Comment: Say what? I’m sorry, but reading that my brain suddenly made one of those ‘huh?’ sounds. So when were we ever joined at the hips, us Christians and Moslems? I don’t recall us ever being very good friends and I think that Sergei Lavrov may want to start by explaining to the International Community just, you know, what the hell he is talking about. Personal theory: I think the man is living in a bubble. But that’s not so hard when the media in one’s country is censored, now is it?

The amazing thing to me, is that the authorities in Russia don’t try to cover it up. I mean, they could at least go into some of the finer points of rhetoric, like Clinton when he was banging the hired help.

"Well no, we didn’t ever censor anybody. Ever." (but we did shoot them)

But they don’t even have the decency to do that. The Red Dhimmis.

‘Offensive Cartoons Like 9/11 of Islamic World’
By Huseyin Akkas, Jeddah
Published: Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Comment: "It was bad m’kay. Really really bad. Because we, líke, had our feelings hurt.. And stuff, you know." Yeah, because you were the ones to have your embassies torched, your citizens threatened with violence and death and you weren’t allowed to sell sex toys for camels in Denmark anymore. AND THAT’S YOUR ONLY VALUABLE EXPORT, you backwards fucks.

Politiken, Tuesday, February, 14, 2006

Egyptian Embassador reprimanded

The Embassador of Egypt was recently summoned to, and severely criticised for her role in the Muhammed cartoons crisis by the Danish Foreign Ministry.

By Tanja Parker Astrup, Lene Winther and Thomas Flensburg

The Egyptian Embassador Mona Omar Attia was recently summoned to the Danish Foreign Ministry for a verbal spanking of her conduct in the Muhammed crisis.

According to information obtained by Politiken, it had been noted that official representative of Egypt in Denmark had spread rumours in the Middle East that Islam is not an officially recognized religion in order to inflame Arabian anger against Denmark.

19 Islamic Denominations are recognized by the Danish State.

Confirmation by Foreign Ministry

The Ministry confirms that the embassador "recently" had been summoned to the ministry for a talk with Chief of Protocol Christopher Bo Bramsen who handles relations to the embassadors.

The Ministry has no information regarding what was said, or the cause of the summons.

The Imams bear responsibility

The government has so far blamed the Danish Imams who went on a disinformation tour of the Middle East for the ruckus, but apparently Egypt was central in the campaign to malign Denmark.

The Liberal spokesman for Foreign Affairs, Troels Lund Poulsen, maintains that the Imams bear the greater part of the blame.

"It wasn’t until the Imams joined in that this became a problem. I recognize that other entities may have played a part but the the Imams must shoulder the heavier part of the responsibility," he says.

Arabs nations surprised

Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller of the Conservatives point to the fact that the strife had been settled politically but religious parties made it escalate regardless.

"The leaders of the Arab world were surprised too," the Minister says.

The Egyptian Embassador couldn’t be reached for comments.

B.T., Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Dead swans on Sealand too

150 citizens have reported finding dead birds since Wednesday, primarily swans, Director of Emergency Services Svend Johansen reports to TV2 Øst.

Dead swans have now been found on Falster, Lolland, and Sealand.

On Falster, four dead swans have been found on Hasselø. On Lolland a dead swan was found Tuesday near the bathing resort Lalandia. It has been brough to the veterinary clinic in Maribo. Around Kalvehave on southern Sealand a swan is on the ice 50 meters from shore which has not yet been retrieved.

The Agency for Food Safety is coordinating the counting and examination of the swans. It is yet unknown whether the many dead swans have died from the bird flu or from natural causes.

The authorities won’t be able to say for sure whether bird flu is the cause of death before Friday at the earliest, says Director of Emergency Services Svend Johansen to TV2 Øst.

Early wednesday two swans found dead on Rügen, 40 kilometers south of Falster, were confirmed to have died from bird flue H5N1.

Update: Dead swans in Northern Jutland

Update: Dead swans on Bornholm

Jyllands-Posten, February 15, 2006

Last doubts about bird flu in German swans dispelled

Further tests reveal that the two swans found dead on the German island Rügen were infected with H5N1.

Thus all doubts have been dispelled as to whether the two swans were indeed infected, says Reinhard Kurth, the leader of the Robert Koch Institute which is the center for disease control in Germany.

Unfortunately it has been confirmed that the Swans were infected with the H5N1 strain from Asia, said Kurth on German TV.

A gaunt Wolf was almost dead with hunger when he happened to meet a House-dog who was passing by. "Ah, Cousin," said the Dog. "I knew how it would be; your irregular life will soon be the ruin of you. Why do you not work steadily as I do, and get your food regularly given to you?"

"I would have no objection," said the Wolf, "if I could only get a place."

"I will easily arrange that for you," said the Dog; "come with me to my master and you shall share my work."

So the Wolf and the Dog went towards the town together. On the way there the Wolf noticed that the hair on a certain part of the Dog’s neck was very much worn away, so he asked him how that had come about.

"Oh, it is nothing," said the Dog. "That is only the place where the collar is put on at night to keep me chained up; it chafes a bit, but one soon gets used to it."

"Is that all?" said the Wolf. "Then good-bye to you, Master Dog."

Better starve free than be a fat slave.

Hat tip for reminding me of this fable by Aesop: Minut

Kristeligt Dagblad, February 15, 2006

Editor-in-Chief warns of special rights to Moslems

Amidst continuing protests of against Denmark and the demand by the city council of Basra for the departure of Danish troops, the Editor-in-Chief of Jyllands-Posten warns that Moslems may receive special considerations in the future.

By Dorte Remar

Following the global turmoil and strife regarding the 12 Cartoons published in Jyllands-Posten depicting Muhammed, Carsten Juste the Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper warns that Moslems may receive special considerations as a consequence of the crisis.

It seems that the conditions for freedom of speech is deterioating faster than I expected. And I think we have to recognize that limits are being placed on freedom of speech where Moslems will receive special considerations.

The consequnce will be that special considerations are going to be taken to a larger degree. Current events leave me worried, says Carsten Juste in the first interview about the issue since the cultural editor was sent on extended leave last week and he was urged to step down by former Foreign Minister Uffe Elleman Jensen of the Liberal party.

In light of the cartoon incident, the Editor-in-Chief expresses deep concern about the role the religion has suborned in Denmark.

There’s too much religion in Denmark. It’s oozing from the cracks and that’s because a very strong religion, Islam, has come to Denmark. I think it’s an unfortunate turn of events. Religion should be a private matter yet religion is in the public space like never before.

Suddenly one has to consider issues one never thought were up for debate. Like blood money, oppression of women and the eerie world of ideas of Hizb-ut Tahrir, says Carsten Juste who thinks the last satirical depiction of Muhammed has been drawn.

After a week of silence, the Editor-in-Chief responds to the severe criticism - domestic as well as foreign - that the newspaper’s decision to publish the 12 Muhammed cartoons which have offended Moslems around the globe.

The Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan, says we live in a global village and therefore can’t keep our national discussions national anymore. Is that true? I wouldn’t be so sure.

If the Imams hadn’t toured the Middle East spreading false cartoons and disinformation, nothing much would have resulted from this.

But where does the media made reality start and where does it end? TV shows that apparently many people are demonstrating but that is not the real picture. I deeply hope that it was only a fringe minority that caused the uproar and that the great Moslem majority is as peaceloving as they make out to be.

From Memri:

Hassan Nasrallah: "If any Muslim had carried out the fatwa of Imam Khomeini against the apostate Salman Rushdie, those despicable people would not have dared to insult the Prophet Muhammad - not in Denmark, not in Norway, and not in France."

Interesting interview by Canonist. Excerpt:

How should Americans be responding to Europeans who might curtail this kind of speech in light of what’s going on?
I would say they’ve gotta make a decision, if their Muslims are gonna run their country, or if they’re gonna run it. Every country has to make that decision.

Berlingske, February 14, 2006

Naser Khader and the rest of the Radicals

By Ole Birk Olesen

85 percent of all Danes think that Naser Khader has handled the cartoon issue well. So why hasn’t the Radicals made him their front man on matters of non-natives, is the question asked within the party.

NEWS ANALYSIS

If there is such a thing as losers and winners in the cartoon issue, the Radical MP Naser Khader definitely qualifies as a winner. According to a survey published by B.T. five days ago, 85 percent of all Danes think that Khader has handled the cartoon issue "well" or "very well".

That’s an unusually high number and certainly not something usual for the Radicals in issues of this kind. The Party received a lot of support for their principled stance on naturalisation, but not from a broad base of the population. Here the Radicals have been seen as too soft.

But Naser Khaders line in the sand in the on the cartoon issue has been a hit with the voters. He has taken a firm stance against the traveling Imams and for the right to say satirical and critical things about Islam. And he has founded "Democractic Moslems" with the express goal of challenging the Imams as first spokesman for the 200000 Moslems in Denmark.

Because of that the Radical MEP Anders Samuelsen yesterday was quoted by Jyllands-Posten as saying that he hopes "that when people wake up in the morning and think of Radical naturalisation policies, Naser Khader is the name that springs to mind." Not only is that a hope, it is also a cloaked suggestion to his colleagues in Parliament to let Khader lead when the Radicals make and present their naturalisation policies, a task currently assignes to MP Elsebeth Gerner Nielsen.

Anders Samuelsen is like Naser Khader hawkish on naturalisation policies. The hawks aren’t much different from the doves except on matters of rhetoric and will to negotiate. Leader of the Radical MPs Marianne Jelved has so far been unyielding in her terms of negotiation whereas Khader and Samuelsen and the Helveg family would rather negotiate and influence events.

Naser Khader: "I would rather seek to gain influence than bark at those who do."

The reason for the dovish policies so far has been that it has Marketed the Radicals as the main opposition to the government’s naturalisation policies and they think that this is why the Radicals nearly doubled their mandates in the last election.

But, it does seem difficult to imagine where the government and the Radicals might find some common ground on naturalisation. Neither Khader, Samuelsen or the Helveg family or any other of the party’s pragmatics have gone on record as being willing to swallow either of the twin camels - the 24 year rule and the "most attached country" rule which are the cornerstones of current Danish naturalisation policy. So how would the twain ever be able to meet?  Is the question being asked.

This doesn’t change that Naser Khader is considered a boon by the whole party these days. Marianne Jelved yesterday in an open letter said "It is you, Naser, who will become the example of a new age of peaceful coexistence in a multicultural world building on democratic principles. You are the man. Thank you for your personal effort."

This spring the Radicals are set to launch a new advertising campaign inspired by DPPs "Fresh wind blowing" campaign. That might be the first opportunity for the Radicals to show how much they like Naser Khader and how the party is planning to use his personal popularity to generate popularity for the Radicals.

Jyllands-Posten, February 14, 2006

DPP applies pressure

By Mads Stenstrup, Puk Damsgård Andersen and Anne Mette Svane

Coalition supporting Danish presence in Iraq turns wobbly. DPP demands statement of support for Danish presence from the government of Iraq. DPP also demands investigation of the crisis.

The Danish Peoples Party will demand an investigation of how the 12 cartoons in Jyllands-Posten could escalate to create the worst international crisis in newer times for Denmark at an upcoming meeting of the Committee for Foreign Affairs.

The investigation is in particular meant to throw light on which role the Danish Imams and Egypt’s Embassador to Denmark, Mona Omar, had in the matter.

"We want a thorough investigantion of how things could get so out of control as to endanger the reputation of Denmark abroad. We see that the Imams and the Egyptian Embassador have played a central role and we need clarity about who created this escalation," says DPP spokesman on Foreign Affairs Peter Skaarup.

But DPP can’t muster the majority needed for an investigation. Both the Social Democrats and the Liberal Party deny the need for an investigation.

"Eventually we need an investigation or evaluation of the events leading up but I think that it is untimely at this juncture where all efforts must be directed at putting the crisis to rest," says the spokesman for the Social Democrats Jeppe Kofod.

Liberals concour

The spokesman for the Liberals Troels Lund Poulsen is of the same opinion.

But the Danish government agreed with the DPP, who for more than a week has demanded a show of support from the government of Iraq, that now might be the time.

On a meeting of the Comittee for Foreign Affairs a statement from the city council of Basra was the object of discussion. Danish troops are no longer welcome unless they apologize for the cartoons, was the ultimatum from the local authorities in Basra. This has led the Danish government to request a clear position from the government of Iraq.

Pia Kjærsgaard, leader of the DPP, said after the meeting:

"It is not acceptable and therefore we have asked for clear and undivided support from the Iraqi government."

According to information obtained by Jyllands-Posten it has caused great irritation that the Danish government didn’t take serious DPPs threat to withdraw support for the Danish presence in Iraq last week.

The Iraqi minister for Transportation has stated that Iraq will not accept Danish money for rebuilding effort. The Foreign Minister of Iraq denied this to Per Stig Møller, the Danish Foreign Minister.

Doing their job

The 530 Danish soldier in Iraq are quartered near Basra but yesterday neither the Danish force nor military officials in Denmark could confirm the statement from the city council. Public Relations Officer Hans Vedholm from Army Operationol Command says nothing has changed for the Danish force:

"The force has experienced no change in the threat picture the last couple of days and normal operations continue so far."

Jyllands-Posten, Februrary 11, 2006

Khader rejoinds against Abu Laban

It borders on urging people to violence when people are called rats. So thinks member of The Radical party in Denmark Naser Khader who is the point man in the newly establish network ‘Democratic Moslems’.

He wants the Minister of Religion, Bertel Haarder (Liberals), to take a look at Imam Abu Labans latest statement during Friday prayer in the mosque on Dortheavej in the Nort-West quarter of Copenhagen.

Actually, I don’t really want to fight this out in the courts. But I have contacted the Minister for Religion and asked him if it will have any consequences for the Community of Islam says Naser Khader

Abu Laban at an earlier date called Khader a "third rate politician" and during this Fridays prayers he labeled the Radical MP and Dutch MP Ayaan Hirsi Ali "rats in a hole".

Understanding from the Social Democrats

The Social Democratic MPs understand Khader turning to the Minister.

The last marbles are gone when Abu Laban encourages understanding and dialogue while labelling moderate Moslems "rats" who have caused this crisis. You don’t have a lot of credibility left once you’ve done that, says John Dyrby, spokesman on naturalisation for the Social Democrats.