European Affairs Expert: Muslim Cartoon Controversy Has Shaken Denmark
by Chad Groening
February 14, 2006
(AgapePress) - - A Danish-born columnist and European affairs expert says the people of Denmark have really been shaken by the Islamic outrage surrounding the recent newspaper publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad. Helle Dale, Director of Foreign Policy and Defense Studies at the Heritage Foundation, is well acquainted with Jyllands-Posten, the Danish newspaper that first published the Islamic cartoons in September, having worked for that publication during the mid-1980s. She says the paper is not one that ordinarily looks for controversy.
Rather, Dale describes the Jyllands-Posten as "a nationwide Danish paper that has the largest circulation" and a political stance that is "center to mildly center right." And as for its reputation, she says, the publication is "highly regarded, highly respected, does very solid journalism, and is not normally known for causing a lot of waves."
But since the explosion of outrage over the cartoons throughout the Islamic world, the Heritage Foundation official says the controversy has rippled through her native country and Denmark's populace has definitely felt it.
"The newspaper has not issued an apology," Dale says, "but there really has been a lot of turmoil. The editor who was responsible for publishing the cartoons has been placed on leave. I wouldn't say the Danes have been unaffected by what's going on."
The foreign policy expert believes many Danes are reacting to the way this incident has affected the nation's image in the international community. "Denmark is a country that is generally well regarded in most of the world," she says. "It has a very generous foreign aid program and has worked in the Middle East among Palestinians, for instance, for many years."
The Islamic community's response to the cartoon controversy "really shook people up a great deal," Dale contends. Many Danish citizens are stunned that the publication of these caricatures of Muhammad have "caused such massive offense, which I think is way out of proportion to what actually happened," she says.
Associated Press reported this week that there appears to be a backlash in Denmark to the Muslim violence associated with the cartoons. A new poll, says the report, shows Denmark's populist anti-immigration party is gaining support. The party's leader has called a group of Danish Islamic leaders "the enemy within," accusing them of inciting outrage in Muslim countries by spreading anti-Danish propaganda.
Chad Groening, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
