Fallout spreads over images Muslims consider insulting

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — A Danish Muslim group Tuesday accepted an apology from a newspaper that published offensive cartoons of the prophet Muhammad but said later it had decided the statement was ambiguous.

The group did not elaborate and it was unclear if there would be any effect on protests and boycotts of Danish goods in Muslim countries.

The newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons in September after asking artists to depict Islam's prophet in what was described as a test of self-censorship. The depictions included incendiary images such as Muhammad wearing a turban shaped as a bomb with a burning fuse.

The cartoons in Jyllands-Posten, a conservative, mass-circulation Danish daily, were reprinted three weeks ago in Magazinet, a small evangelical Christian newspaper in Norway.

The reaction has been widespread and fallout over the images reached new levels Monday, with the European Union backing Denmark in the dispute and warning that a boycott of Danish products — already being felt by some companies — would violate World Trade Organization rules.

Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador from Denmark and Libya has closed its embassy in Copenhagen, the Danish capital. Kuwait called the cartoons "despicable racism." Iran's foreign minister termed them "ridiculous and revolting."

The cartoons included one of the prophet as a crazed, knife-wielding Bedouin and another of him at the gates of heaven telling suicide bombers: "Stop. Stop. We have run out of virgins! ," a reference to the belief of some Muslim extremists that male suicide bombers are rewarded in heaven with 72 virgins.

Islamic critics charged that the cartoons were a provocation and insult to their religion designed to incite hatred and polarize people of different faiths. Defenders of the newspapers and artists said the 12 published cartoons simply were intended to highlight Islam's intolerance.

The controversy has pitted two newspapers championing what they say is the cause of free speech against Islam's prohibition of any artistic depiction of Muhammad, which is considered blasphemous, no matter how benign. The clash is being fueled by a wave of anti-immigrant sentiment in staunchly secular Denmark, where many express frustration that the country's 200,000 Muslim immigrants are resisting assimilation into Danish society.

"There's widespread skepticism toward immigration and integration efforts" because of a popular belief that "immigrants are here to take advantage of the Danish system," said Ulf Hedetoft, a political scientist at Aalborg University and director of Denmark's Academy for Migration Studies.

"People are inclined to see Islam and political extremism as two sides of the same coin," he said.

In a statement, the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference has condemned "the printing of blasphemous and insulting caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed," saying it "falls into the trap set up by fundamentalists and fosters acts of revenge."

Protesters across the Muslim world have burned Norwegian and Danish flags and issued denunciations.

The Danish Foreign Ministry late Sunday issued a statement warning its citizens in nine Middle Eastern countries and the Palestinian territories to "show extra vigilance" because of the "strong negative feelings" sparked by the uproar.

Meanwhile, a Denmark-based dairy group, Arla Foods — which according to a statement on its Web site sells about $421 million annually in the Middle East and has about 1,000 employees there — said sales had come to a "standstill" in the region.

In a statement published late Monday, Jyllands-Posten apologized and said it regretted offending Muslims. It stood by the decision to print the cartoons, saying it was within Danish law.

The drawings "were not intended to be offensive, nor were they at variance with Danish law, but they have indisputably offended many Muslims for which we apologize," the daily said Monday.

Danish Muslims said Tuesday that they welcomed the apology. However, 27 Muslim groups met later to discuss the statement and declared it "ambiguous."

"We lack a clear statement where the newspaper apologizes for the offense and stands by it," said Ahmed Akkari, a spokesman for the groups.

The Danish Muslims thanked Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen for saying Monday evening that his government could not apologize on behalf of a newspaper but that he "never would have depicted Muhammad, Jesus or any other religious character in a way that could offend other people."