Islamic boycott of Denmark burns out of control

A fascinating story has developed over a world wide Islamic protest over cartoons depicting Mohammed published in a Danish newspaper late last year.

The Danish newspaper the Jyllands-Posten ran these caricatures of Mohammed as an exercise in freedom of the press after several Danish artists and artists expressed fear of reprisals for writing or depicting anything critical of Islam.

When Danish Muslims protested and demanded that the paper be punished, Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen refused to even meet with them, citing traditional Danish freedom of the press.

Denmark has also been much more hardline in its treatment of Islamic terrorists than some other EU countries, and in insisting that Danish Muslims integrate fully into Danish society. Denmark was also victimized by Islamic riots in Aalborg and other locations during le Jihad Francais last year.

A worldwide Islamic boycott has been launched against Denmark and its products.

And Saudi Arabia has recalled its envoy from Denmark, Libya has closed its embassy, and thousands of Palestinians marched in protest on Monday. Egypt is also considering recalling its ambassador. And the OIC and the Arab League have both called for Muslim boycotts of Danish goods and services.

Today, groups linked to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah faction issued a statement saying, “We call upon all Danish citizens in (Palestine) to leave immediately.”

Hamas got into the act by urging Islamic countries to take “deterrent steps against idiotic Danish behavior”.

“We call on Muslim nations to boycott all Danish products because the Danish people supported the hateful racism under the pretext of freedom of expression,” it said in a statement.

Today, Denmark-based Arla Foods reported that two of its employees in Saudi Arabia were beaten by angry customers. Aid groups, meanwhile, pulled workers out of Gaza, citing the threat of hostilities. And armed terrorists shot up the outside of the European Union headquarters in Gaza City.

The al-Hisbah website, a popular cyberstop for Islamic radicals carried a black banner bearing the address of another site, www.no4denmark.com, that showed pictures of products consumers should shun. These include Lego toys, food products, cosmetics and pump manufacturer Grundfos.

Saudi Arabia is a member of the WTO and EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson warned Saudi Arabia that it would take WTO action if the Riyadh government supported a boycott of Danish goods. The Saudi government, of course, denied any `official' encouragement of the boycott.

Islamists counting on Denmark knuckling under to pressure should remember thatthis brave nation defied Hitler, even when his armies occupied their country.

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has repeatedly rejected calls to apologize or give in to this blackmail. There's hope for Europe yet.