Boycott Danish goods? Sorry, you have to boycott the entire EU. That would grind a number of economies to a virtual halt, including Iran:
Iran should “think twice” about imposing a boycott on Danish goods or canceling contracts with European countries, EU trade chief Peter Mandelson warned Tuesday after the EU said the move would further chill already icy relations.
Iranian officials announced a suspension of all trade and economic ties with Denmark Tuesday to protest provocative caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad that first appeared in a Danish newspaper and have been republished in other newspapers around Europe. “I would make it clear to the government of Iran that any boycott of Danish goods is a boycott of the European Union as a whole,” Mandelson told The Associated Press during a retail conference in Prague. “I hope that the government (of Iran) will think twice.” http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2006-02/08/content_518203.htm
Russian President Putin Urges Denmark To Apologize To Muslims
Good call by Putin.
**Putin Urges Denmark To Apologize To Muslims **
8 February 2006 – Russian President Vladimir Putin today urged Denmark to apologize for controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. "Any provocation in this area is absolutely unacceptable,"Putin said. “One should think 100 times before publishing anything, doing anything, or drawing anything.” He said that "if a state cannot prevent such publications, it should at least ask for forgivenes. Putin made the comments in an interview published today in Spanish newspapers ahead of his arrival later today in Spain on a two-day visit. Outraged Muslims have staged protests across the world against the cartoons, which were first published in a Danish daily and later reprinted in other European newspapers in a gesture of support for freedom of expression
*President Chirac said freedom of expression was one of the foundations of the French republic but should not be abused. He called for tolerance and for all beliefs to be respected.
“Anything that can hurt the convictions of another, particularly religious convictions, must be avoided,” he said. "Freedom of expression must be exercised in a spirit of responsibility. “I condemn all manifest provocation that might dangerously fan passions.” *
**Nestle:Not Hit By Middle East Boycott Of Danish Products **
Switzerland-based food and beverages maker Nestle S.A. ( NESN.VX) Thursday said it isn’t adversly affected by the boycott of Danish products in some Middle Eastern countries. “We don’t see any slowdown of our sales in that region,” Nestle spokesman Francois-Xavier Perroud said. However, there have been allegations in that region that Nestle’s milk powder products Nido and Klim are Danish-made. “We reacted to that wrong information and informed customers that this isn’t the case,” he said.
Danish exporters, among them dairy group Arla Foods (AFA.YY), have recently said they have suffered heavy declines in Middle Eastern sales because of a boycott sparked by a controversy over drawings of the prophet Mohammad in a Danish newspaper.
uhhhh, so we better not offend Bin Laden's convictions, ehh Chirac?
This from a guy who complained about the "smell and noise" made by certain immigrants. Anyways a terribly worded statement.
That said, the part about not offended religious convictions is not surprising, any rational politician does not want to offend a large religious base. But good luck to any politicain who trys to legally stop a paper from mocking religious symbols/persons.
