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Kildeintroduktion:
Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten bragte 30. september 2005 12 satiriske tegninger/karikaturer af profeten Muhammed med den hensigt at skabe debat om ytringsfriheden. Tegningerne, især én afbildende Muhammed med en bombe i turbanen, skabte stor utilfredshed i muslimske lande med demonstrationer, vareboykots og ambassadeafbrændinger til følge.
Muhammed-krisen, som den blev kaldt, endte med at blive den største danske udenrigspolitiske krise i nyere tid. Krisen har fået betydning for den danske anseelse i de muslimske lande. Kort efter at tegningerne blev bragt i Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten sendte 11 repræsentantskaber, med den egyptiske ambassadør i front, et brev til statsminister Anders Fogh Rasmussen (12. oktober 2005). I brevet henvises til en angivelig smædekampagne mod muslimer i den danske offentlighed og i de danske medier, hvorfor regeringen opfordres til at stille de skyldige til ansvar i henhold til loven. Samtidig ønskes (request) et snarligt møde med statsministeren.
I statsministerens svarbrev dateret 21. oktober 2005 undlades der at tage stilling til dette ønske, og et møde kom heller ikke i stand. Statsministeren henviser til ytringsfriheden og den danske lovgivning, som ikke tillader udtalelser af diskriminerende eller blasfemisk natur, samt at den danske regering ikke har mulighed for at påvirke den danske presse. Derfor må man gå rettens vej, hvis man er af den overbevisning, at loven er blevet overtrådt.
Efterfølgende gives der udtryk for et ønske om dialog mellem Danmark og Mellemøsten (MENA-landene), og der henvises til Det Arabiske Initiativ, som regeringen igangsatte med det formål at øge dialogen og forståelsen mellem Danmark, EU og Mellemøsten. De to breve bringes nedenfor i sin fulde længde. Krisen eskalerede efterfølgende på baggrund af en række indenrigs- og udenrigspolitiske faktorer. Oppositionspartierne var dog af den opfattelse, at et møde mellem statsministeren og de 11 muslimske ambassadører kunne havde mildnet krisens karakter.
Brev fra 11 ambassadører til Anders Fogh Rasmussen
12. October 2005
Excellency,
The undersigned Ambassadors, Cd'a.i and Head of Palestinian General Delegation accredited to Denmark take this oppertunity to draw your attention to an urgent matter.
This pertains to on-going smearing campaign in Danish public circles and media against Islam and Muslims. Radio Holger's remarks for which it was indicted, DF MP and Mayoral candidate Louise Frevert's derogatory remarks, Culture Minister Brian Mikkelsen's statement on war against Muslims and Daily Jyllands-Posten's cultural page inviting people to draw sketches of Holy Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) are some recent examples.
We strongly feel that casting aspersions on Islam as a religion and publishing demeaning caricatures of Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) goes against the spirit of Danish values of tolerance and civil society. This is on the whole a very discriminatory tendency and does not bode well with the high human rights standards of Denmark. We may underline that it can also cause reactions in Muslim countries and among Muslim communities in Europe.
In your speech at the opening of Danish Parliament, Your Excellency rightly underlined that terrorists should not be allowed to abuse Islam for their crimes. In the same token, Danish press and public representatives should not be allowed to abuse Islam in the name of democracy, freedom of expression and human rights, the values that we all share.
We deplore these statements and publications and urge Your Excellency's government to take all those responsible to task under law of the land in the interest of inter-faith harmony, better integration and Denmark's overall relations with Muslim world. We rest assured that you will take all steps necessary.
Given the sensitive nature of the matter, we request an urgent meeting at your convenience. An early response would be greatly appreciated.
Please accept, Excellency, best wishes and assurances of our highest consideration.
(Fugen Ok)
Ambassador of Turkey
(Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Hejailan)
Ambassador of Saudi Arabia
(Ahmed Danialy)
Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran
(Javed A. Qureshi)
Ambassador of Pakistan
(Mona Omar Attia)
Ambassador of Egypt
(Perwitorini Wijono)
Ambassador of Indonesia
(Latifa Benazza)
Ambassador of Algeria
(Sead Maslo)
Ambassador of Bosnia Herzegovina
(Mohammed E.R. Rimali)
Libyan Embassy
(El Houssaine Ouestitane)
Charge d’Affaires a.i. of Marocco
(Maie F.B. Sarraf)
Head of Palestinian General Delegation
CC: H.E. Per Stig Møller, Foreign Minister, Royal Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Statsminister Anders Fogh Rasmussens svar på ovenstående brev
Copenhagen, 21. okt. 2005
List of recipients attached
Your Excellencies
Thank you very much for your letter of 12. October 2005.
The Danish society is based on respect for the freedom of expression, on religious tolerance and on equal standards for all religions. The freedom of expression is the very foundation of the Danish democracy. The freedom of expression has a wide scope and the Danish government has no means of influencing the press. However, Danish legislation prohibits acts or expressions of a blasphemous or discriminatory nature. The offended party may bring such acts or expressions to court, and it is for the courts to decide in individual cases.
I share your view that dialogue between cultures and religions needs to be based on mutual respect and understanding. There is indeed room for increasing mutual understanding between different cultures and religions.
In this regard, I have personally taken the initiative to enter into a dialogue with representatives from the Muslim communities in Denmark.
Furthermore, I would like to see the dialogue between Denmark and the Muslim world strengthened. Indeed, one of the principal objectives of the initiative "Partnership for Progress and Reform", launched by the Danish Government in 2003, is to stimulate the dialogue between Denmark, the EU and countries in North Africa and the Middle East. The initiative explicitly aims to engage a broad spectrum of Danish institutions and organisations in partnerships with their sister organisations in the Arab world and Iran. The Partnership will in this way nurture institutiona1 and personal friendships among our societies and increase mutual understanding of the values on which we base our societies.
Yours sincerely,
Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen og kommisionsformand Barroso. Fra: European Commission - Audiovisual Service