Militants threaten safety of Danes

MUSLIM anger over a Danish newspaper’s decision to publish cartoons of the prophet Mohammed escalated yesterday, with the EU becoming embroiled in an increasingly angry row.

Yesterday, gunmen seized an EU office in Gaza and Muslims across the Middle East appealed for a trade boycott of Danish products.

Denmark called for its citizens in the Middle East to exercise vigilance.

In Gaza, masked gunmen briefly took over an office used by the EU, demanding an apology from Denmark and Norway. The gunmen said citizens of the two countries would be prevented from entering the Gaza Strip. No one was hurt.

Dozens of Palestinians with rifles and grenade launchers rallied outside the EU headquarters in Gaza City, warning Danes and Norwegians they would be at risk in Gaza.

Some fired in the air, while others burned Danish and Norwegian flags.

Hamas, the militant Islamic group which won Palestinian elections last week, urged Islamic countries to take “deterrent steps against idiotic Danish behaviour”.

A statement attributed to the Mujahideen Army called for attacks on Danish and Norwegian targets, saying a boycott was not enough.

The internet statement called on fighters to “hit whatever targets possible belonging to these two countries and others that follow their steps”. It could not be authenticated.

EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has warned he will raise the matter with the WTO, saying that a boycott of Danish goods was a boycott of the EU.

Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern said the meeting of EU ministers in Brussels yesterday expressed solidarity with the Danes. He said ministers were fearful of the situation escalating.

He said the Danish Government could not introduce censorship of the media and added: “We agree with a free press but people have to be reasonable in what they print.”

In Islam it is blasphemy to make or publish any picture depicting their prophets including Jesus Christ, Moses and Mohammed.

Last September, the Danish paper Jyllands-Posten printed a series of 12 cartoons of Mohammed. Many were artists’ impressions, but one showed the prophet with a bomb in his turban.

The paper’s editor refused to apologise as did Danish Prime Minister Fogh Rasmussen, who said he would not interfere with the freedom of the press as that would undermine the basis of democracy.

He said any case of blasphemy should be dealt with by the law and the courts, but he condemned any action or expression that tended to demonise people for their religion.

But there have been incidents throughout the Arab world over the past few weeks with protests and demonstrations yesterday in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq and Gaza.

A boycott of Danish goods has been organised throughout supermarkets and shops in several of these countries and Danish firm Arla Foods, which employs 800 in Saudi Arabia, is losing over €1 million a day.

The firm has threatened to suspend production at its dairy plant in Riyadh and lay off its workforce if the situation continues. Yesterday two of its employees were attacked and beaten.

Now the Muslim world’s three main political bodies are to seek a UN resolution banning attacks on religious beliefs and seeking sanctions against Denmark and Norway, where a paper republished the cartoons in early January.

The Arab League is due to meet in Egypt this week and will discuss the situation.

Mr Mandelson, when he met Saudi Minister of State Abdullah Zainal Alireza in Davos last Thursday, told him the boycott of Danish goods was a serious matter.

The trade commissioner’s spokesman, Peter Power, said he made it clear that if the Saudi Government had encouraged the boycott he would pursue it through the World Trade Organisation.

“Commissioner Mandelson stated that the Danish Government could not condemn any free expression by the press,” said Mr Power.

The UAE’s Minister of Justice and Islamic Affairs Mohammed Al Dhaheri said of the cartoons: “This is cultural terrorism, not freedom of expression. The repercussions of such irresponsible acts will have adverse impact on international relations.”