So...You must all be wondering what it's actually like to live in a country which is now under the scrutiny (well, maybe that's an understatement) of the Islamic world, not to mention a lot of other countries around the world. Anyway, this whole cartoon deal only really became known to most people within the past few weeks. Apparently when they were published in September, some Islamic clerics wanted apologies from the paper (Jyllands-Posten, a name which I'm sure has become a household name around the world by now) and from the Danish government. After not getting an apology from either group, these clerics sought out support from Islamic states around the world. I'm kind of confused about why it took 4-5 months for the the Islamic states to respond...But anyway....The rest is history...Everyone has heard of riots in Iran, Afghanistan, Syria and Lebanon as well as the boycotts of Danish goods that are happening in many of the Islamic states.
So...What's the attitute in Denmark, you ask? Well it depends who you ask I guess...Some would applaud the editor of the paper (Flemming Rose) for trying to express freedom of speech and for attempting to break down taboos, while others think it's completely unacceptable and many people who have opinions somewhere in between. A lot of the Muslims in Denmark are trying to not rock the boat at all when it comes to the sensitive politics, others are taking to the streets. In fact when I was at a group meeting today, I saw a protest rally going on down one of the major streets in Copenhagen. I'm not sure if the rally was peaceful or not. I guess I'll find out in the news soon enough....
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