'Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark'

Dr. Ismail Ibrahim Nawwab send the following letter to the Danish ambassador to the Kingdom regarding the Jyllands-Posten's vicious cartoons of the Prophet.

His Excellency the Ambassador of Denmark to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Riyad, Saudi Arabia

Your Excellency,

First, I greet you with the customary salutation of Islam, peace. 

In our country, Saudi Arabia, and in the Arab and Muslim world, Denmark has long had the image of being a glorious haven for a peace-loving, tolerant society, which embraces and respects all races, creeds and colors. 

Muslims are, therefore, utterly shocked by the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten's series of coarse, slanderous and revolting cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.  The Prophet's boundless love is found in the heart and mind of every Muslim worldwide. 

We should like to think that the Jyllands-Posten is unrepresentative of the good people of Denmark.  It is blissfully ignorant that the Prophet Muhammad is held in veneration by hundreds of millions of Muslims and that caricaturing his personality and teachings is painful and offensive to them as well as to vast numbers of fair-minded people of other faiths. 

The paper's so-far unrepentant Islamophobic stance is deliberately and willfully provocative and, according to some reports, has been insensitively defended by some high Danish officials.  In addition to the ill-will it generated, the effect of Jyllands-Posten's misadventure has been that in the popular, media and intellectual circles of most parts of the Muslim world there have been angry public and published calls to boycott Danish products. 

One should have expected that the Jyllands-Posten would have had enough sensibility to realize that it is most irresponsible to air such jaundiced and inflammatory material, reeking of medieval venom and vehemence.  In these difficult times, journalists and people of good will should be building interfaith and intercultural bridges and not contributing to their destruction. 

Jyllands-Posten has committed an egregious abuse of freedom of expression.  We suggest that the paper be asked to do the honorable thing and apologize for its mistake and that Danish officials express regret for Jyllands-Posten's cavalier disregard for the feelings of the Muslims.  The paper and the Danish government owe this much to the Arab and Muslim world. 

It is requested that Your Excellency lend your personal support to combating the spread of scurrilous material against Islam and the Prophet in your country. 

Please also bring this cri de couer to the attention of the parties and authorities concerned in Denmark.

With best regards,

Ismail Ibrahim Nawwab

Retired university professor and oil corporation executive

Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

E-Mail Address: gratefulthrice@yahoo.com