February 9, 2006 edited extract New York Times

The Protests At Mecca Meeting, Cartoon Outrage Crystallized

By HASSAN M. FATTAH

As leaders of the world's 57 Muslim nations gathered for a summit meeting in Mecca in December, issues like religious extremism dominated the official agenda. But much of the talk in the hallways was of a wholly different issue: Danish cartoons satirizing the Prophet Muhammad. The closing communiqué took note of the issue when it expressed "concern at rising hatred against Islam and Muslims and condemned the recent incident of desecration of the image of the Holy Prophet Muhammad in the media of certain countries" as well as over "using the freedom of expression as a pretext to defame religions." (Comment: what a joke.) The meeting in Mecca, a Saudi city from which non-Muslims are barred, drew minimal international press coverage...

Ahmed Akkari, 28, a Lebanese-born Dane, acts as spokesman for the European Committee for Honoring the Prophet, an umbrella group of 27 Danish Muslim organizations to press the Danish government into action (to suppress) the cartoons..."We collected 17,000 signatures and delivered them to the office of the prime minister, we saw the minister of culture, we talked to the editor of the Jyllands-Posten, we took many steps within Denmark, but could get no action...the prime minister's office had not even responded to the petition...the group turned to the ambassadors of Muslim countries in Denmark and asked them to speak to the prime minister on their behalf...

At the end of December, the pace picked up as talk of a boycott became more prominent. The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, comprising more than 50 states, published on its Web site a statement condemning "the aggressive campaign waged against Islam and its Prophet" by Jyllands-Posten, and officials of the organization said member nations should impose a boycott on Denmark until an apology was offered for the drawings. "We encourage the organization's members to boycott Denmark both economically and politically until Denmark presents an official apology for the drawings that have offended the world's Muslims..."

On Jan. 26 Saudi Arabia recalled its ambassador to Denmark, and Libya followed suit. Saudi clerics began sounding the call for a boycott, and within a day, most Danish products were pulled off supermarket shelves...The wave swept many in the region...

• Pakistani tells how he killed 4 daughters
• Denmark under attack by Islam
• Faces of Islam?? Main page
• Four killed in Muslim rioting near Coptic churches in Alexandria

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