	Generational Dynamics
	Forecasting America's Destiny ... and the World's

\| HOME \| WEB LOG \| COUNTRY WIKI \| COMMENT \| FORUM \| DOWNLOADS \| ABOUT \|

Generational Dynamics Web Log for 31-Jan-06
Muslim world boycotts Danish goods over offensive cartoons

Web Log - January, 2006

Muslim world boycotts Danish goods over offensive cartoons

This is a bizarre tale about how a small thing can lead to a major, real crisis.

Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador from Denmark, Libya closed its embassy in Copenhagen, and many clerics are calling for a worldwide Muslim boycott of Danish products, after Denmark's Prime Minister refused to apologize for cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed in a manner considered offensive to Muslims. Iran may join the boycott as well.

The 12 cartoons first appeared in Denmark’s Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten daily in September. The scandal has continued to grow ever since.

Muslims consider any images of Mohammed to be considered blasphemous, but the published cartoons depicted Mohammed in a manner that Muslims consider to be extremely offensive. In one of them, Mohammed is wearing a turban shaped like a bomb with its fuse lit. In another, Mohammed is telling suicide bombers to slow down, saying, "Stop, stop, we're running out of virgins."

Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten has refused to apologize, claiming freedom of speech. The Denmark government claims that it can't discipline the paper for the same reason -- freedom of speech.

The Norwegian paper Magazinet reprinted the cartoons, but Norway hopes to escape the same retribution, because the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Riyadh issued an expression of regret: “All people have the right to respect for their religion and the right to expect that neither their religion nor their religious affiliation will be subject to contempt. I understand that the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in the Norwegian magazine Magazinet are perceived as offensive and that they have caused a stir in Muslim communities. This incident is unfortunate and deplorable.”

It's possible to understand both sides of this disagreement. The Danes are perplexed about what they should do; it's as if the Muslim world was outraged at all of America because the Boston Globe had published something that Muslims consider blasphemous. However, Muslims claim that the Danes have pushed freedom of speech too far -- like crying "Fire!" in a crowded movie theatre -- by publishing cartoons that are so extremely offensive to Muslims. They point out that Western Christians would be similarly offended by cartoons of Jesus.

The disagreement may escalate still further. The EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has warned Saudi Arabia that would take legal action in the World Trade Organization (WTO), if the Saudi government supported a boycott of Danish goods.

Perhaps this disagreement will simply settle down. The only way I can see that happen is if the Danish government decides to issue some kind of apology, although an opinion poll showed that 79 percent of Danes think that the government should not issue an apology, and 62% say the newspaper should not apologize.

However, Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten issued an apology on January 28, but it doesn't seem to be doing much good.

What this disagreement shows is how easily a war can start during a generational crisis period. This is a really silly squabble, and yet positions are very hard on both sides. If the same sort of thing happened between Japan and China (which it could), then a diplomatic squabble could rise to a boycott, then rise to a minor confrontation with weapons, to a larger confrontation with weapons, to a full-scale war. Stranger things have happened, and may happen again. (31-Jan-06) Permanent Link
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Donate to Generational Dynamics via PayPal

Web Log Pages

Current Web Log

Generational Dynamics Web Log for 31-Jan-06 Muslim world boycotts Danish goods over offensive cartoons

Web Log Pages

Generational Dynamics Web Log for 31-Jan-06
Muslim world boycotts Danish goods over offensive cartoons