Boycott costing Danish business dear
above is right next to the asp:img closing tag with -->Friday 17 February
2006, 5:22 Makka Time, 2:22 GMT [input]
Supermarkets have removed Danish products from shelves
Related:
Danish businesses hit by boycott Danish PM tries to ease cartoon
row Fury grows over Denmark cartoons Danish Muslims denounce newspaper
Tools:
Email Article Print Article Send Your Feedback
Consumer boycotts of Danish goods in Muslim countries in protest at
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 26 January 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.
A supermarket in Cairo run by France's Carrefour has had signs, for example,
saying that it is not offering Danish products "in solidarity with Muslims and
Egyptians."
Carrefour said the store was a franchise run by a local company.
Carrefour said it is "strictly neutral" but "stores operated by our partners
or franchises are free to make commercial decisions according to the local
situations".
Indonesia's importers association on Wednesday began boycotting Danish goods,
which it said made up $74 million ( 62 million) in 2005, about 1% of the
nation's annual imports.
Serious call
In Syria, banners on walls and storefronts all call for consumers to avoid
Danish products.
"It's a situation that causes a great concern from our members," said Henriette
Soltoft, director of international market policy for the Confederation of
Danish
Industries.
Danish firms are worried about
long-term business damage
"There's also the fear (for the future) ... that the consumer will not remember
exactly what happened, but they will remember the connection to Denmark," she
said, noting that the Middle East is seen as a growth area.
"Our good relations with these countries have been damaged but we do not know
yet to what extent - that we'll see in the future and it will depend on how
soon this crisis will be solved and how it will be solved."
The drawings published by newspaper Jyllands-Posten in September have sparked
protests, sometimes violent, in Muslim countries. Islam widely holds that
representations of Muhammad are banned for fear they could lead to idolatry.
Common position
Manushehr Mottaki, Iran's foreign minister, reiterated a common position on
Thursday, saying on a visit to Lebanon that "in order for the Danish government
to mend its relations with the Islamic world and Muslim peoples, it should
issue a formal apology".
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the Danish prime minister, has repeatedly rejected
such demands, saying the government cannot be held responsible for the actions
of an independent newspaper.
Denmark cannot take action if
the boycott is consumer-driven
The paper itself has apologized for offending Muslims, but has stood by its
decision to print the drawings, citing the freedom of speech.
Peter Mandelson, the EU trade commissioner, has warned governments that if they
are behind the boycotts that they could face action at the WTO if the EU proves
they are involved.
If the boycotts are purely consumer-driven, however, little can be done.
Denmark's Danske Bank estimates Danish goods worth 10 billion kroner ( 6.3
billion; $1.6 billion) annually are threatened in 20 Muslim countries by the
boycott.
Denmark's overall 2004 exports totalled 452 billion kroner, or about $73
billion.
Damage
But Soltoft cautioned that the damage goes beyond exports, extending to service
contracts, shipping and production facilities in the area - losses that cannot
yet be
quantified.
"It's really difficult to give an exact picture of the situation for the time
being," she said.
"We have sympathy for Muslims over this issue and we encourage a
dialogue between the parties"
Jacob Mikkelsen,
Arla Foods Manager for UAE and Oman
Arla Foods, one of Europe's largest dairy companies, is thought to be the worst
hit. Jacob Mikkelsen, the company's manager for the United Arab Emirates and
Oman, said it has lost an estimated $1.36 million each day of the boycott.
"We have sympathy for Muslims over this issue and we encourage a dialogue
between the parties," he said, also calling on the government to issue a formal
apology over the issue.
Arla, which draws some 6% of its revenues from the Arab Gulf states, employs
about 1500 people in the region.
Mikkelsen warned the company may have to start laying off workers if the
boycott continued.
Agencies
---------------------------------
Yahoo! Mail
Use Photomail to share photos without annoying attachments.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Join modern day disciples reach the disfigured and poor with hope and healing
http://us.click.yahoo.com/lMct6A/Vp3LAA/i1hLAA/aYWolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
Milis Wanita Muslimah
Membangun citra wanita muslimah dalam diri, keluarga, maupun masyarakat.
Situs Web: http://www.wanita-muslimah.com
ARSIP DISKUSI : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wanita-muslimah/messages
Kirim Posting mailto:wanita-muslimah@yahoogroups.com
Berhenti mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Milis Keluarga Sejahtera mailto:keluarga-sejahtera@yahoogroups.com
Milis Anak Muda Islam mailto:majelismuda@yahoogroups.com
This mailing list has a special spell casted to reject any attachment ....
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wanita-muslimah/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
