Pakistani Muslims burn a Danish flag in Karachi on Sunday. They were protesting against the cartoons published in European newspapers depicting caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad. - REUTERS
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP):
CONSUMER BOYCOTTS of Danish goods in Muslim countries in protest of the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad are costing Denmark's companies millions, and has raised fears of irreparable damage to trade ties.
From Havarti cheese to Lego, Danish products have been yanked off the shelves of stores in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other countries around the Middle East as Muslims await an apology for the cartoons, which the Copenhagen government has said it cannot give.
The boycotts began in Saudi Arabia on January 26 when supermarkets either put up signs saying to stop buying Danish goods or removed products from shelves. Since then it has spread to other Muslim nations, and even to Western stores doing business there.
Indonesia's importers association on Wednesday began boycotting Danish goods, which it said made up US$74 million in 2005, about one per cent of the nation's annual imports.
In Syria, banners on walls and storefronts all call for consumers to avoid Danish products.
In the meantime, European Union (EU) Trade Com-missioner Peter Mandelson has warned governments that if they are behind the boycotts that they could face action at the World Trade Organisation if the EU proves they are involved. If the boycotts are purely consumer-driven, however, little can be done.
