 |
|
Badawi
said whatever action taken to protest the cartoons should not
bring problems to other people.
|
KUALA
LUMPUR, February 7, 2006 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) -
Malaysia will not boycott Danish products over the provocative
cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad
Badawi announced on Tuesday, February 7.
Badawi,
also the current chairman of the Organization of the Islamic
Conference (OIC), said his country has no plans at present to take
such a measure, reported the Malaysian news agency (Bernama).
Iran
announced Monday, February 6, that all trade with Denmark has been
immediately suspended in retaliation for the publication of the
cartoons.
"As
of tomorrow, you cannot register to import consumer products from
Denmark," Commerce Minister Masoud Mir-Kazemi was quoted as
saying by state television.
"Any
kind of business negotiation or agreement with Denmark is suspended as
of today. All those agreements which are able to be cancelled will be
cancelled," he added.
Twelve
cartoons of a man assumed to be the Prophet, first published last
September by Denmark's mass-circulation Jyllands-Posten and
then reprinted by several European dailies, have caused an uproar in
the Muslim world and initiated calls for a Muslim boycott of the
Danish products.
Leading
Muslim scholars and organizations have called on world Muslims to
boycott Danish products.
Danish-Swedish
dairy company Arla Foods, one of Europe’s largest dairy producers,
said it is losing $1.8 million of sales a day in the Middle East over
the boycott.
The
company's products were removed from shelves of supermarkets in many
Gulf countries.
Branches
of French hypermarket Carrefour in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) have also stopped selling Danish goods.
Calm
 |
|
An Egyptian passes by a supermarket sign on boycotting Danish products
|
Badawi
also called for calm over the blasphemous cartoons, which triggered
violent protests in many Muslim countries.
He
said that whatever action taken to protest the cartoons should not
bring problems to other people.
Muslims
protesting the cartoons set fire to the Danish consulate in Beirut on
Sunday, February 5, and Syrian protesters did the same with the Danish
and Norwegian embassies in Damascus a day earlier.
Muslim
scholars, organizations and leaders were united in condemning the
violent attacks against the embassies.
Muslim
in Malaysia are planning marches before the Danish mission to protest
the cartoons later this week.
"We
appeal to all Muslims to participate in the protest. We demand that
the government of Denmark and the newspapers offer an apology to
Muslims," said Ahmad Sabki Yusof, youth secretary of the Islamic
Party (PAS).
The
response to the anti-Prophet cartoons has so far been low-key in
Malaysia, which is predominantly Muslim but also home to sizeable
Chinese and Indian minorities.
Also
read:
