Cartoons: Denmark was warned
2006-02-23 21:29
Copenhagen - Denmark ignored warnings from Egypt last year that the dispute about the Prophet Muhammad drawings could escalate and create a rift with the Muslim world, said the Egyptian foreign minister in an interview published on Thursday.
Foreign minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit was quoted as saying that he repeatedly told his Danish counterpart, Per Stig Moeller, that the conflict could intensify, and urged Copenhagen to take a strong stance against the 12 cartoons that were published in the Jyllands-Posten newspaper in September.
Aboul Gheit was quoted as saying in an interview with Copenhagen newspaper Politiken: "The message from your foreign minister was no, no and no."
The conflict simmered for months before it erupted into violent protests, flag-burnings and attacks on Danish and other Western embassies in several Muslim countries.
Dozens have been killed in the protests.
Could have been avoided
Aboul Gheit said he did not want to criticise the Danish government's handling of the crisis, but suggested it could have been avoided if Copenhagen had spoken out against the drawings earlier.
"A responsible government does not neglect stating its opinion," he was quoted as saying.
"If it had said this at an earlier stage, I don't think anything would have happened.
"If someone in Denmark had said, 'freedom of speech does not mean that you should offend other people's feelings', that would have ended the fight."
Fogh Rasmussen condemned "attempts to demonise" religious groups in his New Year's speech and has since said he regrets that Muslims were offended by the drawings.
But, he has insisted the government cannot - and does not want to - interfere with Denmark's independent media.
Jyllands-Posten has apologised for offending Muslims, but stands by its decision to print the drawings, citing freedom of speech.
- AP