Freedom of speech? Pah. We’re losing money here. “Danish Trade Group Challenges Newspaper,” from AP, with thanks to Kasia:
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) – Denmark’s main industry organization, fearing a loss of business in the Muslim world, sought to distance itself Friday from a newspaper that published contentious drawings of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.
The Confederation of Danish Industries urged Jyllands-Posten to explain its decision to publish the cartoons on Sept. 30 last year.
“Time has come for Jyllands-Posten to use its freedom of speech to explain how it views the fact that the paper’s Muhammad drawings have offended large groups of people,” the group’s head, Hans Skov Christensen, wrote in a letter to the daily….
Skov Christensen said Danish companies faced repercussions this week from customers in the Middle East, including product boycotts, dropped orders, and canceled business meetings. The confederation claims the Middle East accounts for annual sales of at least $816 million for Danish companies.
Danish-based Arla Foods, Europe’s largest dairy group, said it had noted sales dropping in Saudi Arabia because of protests over the drawings.
“We are sorry if Muslims have been offended in their faith. It was not the intention,” Carsten Juste, Jyllands-Posten’s editor in chief, told The Associated Press. “What we did, we did within the constitution, the Danish penal code and international conventions.”
Lights out in Copenhagen.