Thursday, June 15, 2006

New Danish Export: Dhimmi Cheese

After the Danish Mohammed Cartoons were published last year, a group of Muslim clerics led by Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi called for a boycott of Danish products by Muslims around the world.

The Danish dairy conglomerate Arla was one of the hardest-hit victims of the boycott, with its extensive Middle Eastern exports cut to a trickle. It was quick to bend the knee to the Ummah and pay the jizyah.

Now Arla’s grovelling has borne fruit. Here’s an account from an editorial in Canada’s National Post:

Sheikh Yusuf al-QaradawiThe row over the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper appears to have been resolved. At an “International Conference for Supporting the Prophet” last month, Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a well-known terrorism apologist who led the anti-Denmark campaign, declared that the boycott of Danish products was to end. The conference of some 300 Muslim clerics in the Gulf emirate of Bahrain was also attended by representatives of Arla, the Danish dairy company that had been worst affected by Qaradawi’s February 3, 2006 call for an anti-Danish embargo.

The end of the controversy is no cause for celebration. Rather Qaradawi’s announcement, and the deal Arla has struck with him, is a victory for thuggery and extortion over free speech. The lack of resistance to the vilification of Denmark by Middle Eastern regimes and their pet theologians sets an appalling precedent.

Arla prostrated itself, in effect apologizing for the supposed offence caused by the 12 not terribly interesting drawings. Of course, the company does not put it that way. Instead, Arla’s Web site refers to “an active marketing approach.”

Nice euphemism. Way to go, Arla. That’s what Texaco should have called it when they were shaken down by Jesse Jackson back in 1996. Suggested new slogan: “No active marketing approach, no peace!”

The editorial continues:

At the end of January, Arla paid to have the Danish government’s official statement indicating its respect for Islam printed in Saudi newspapers. Then, in a full-page advertisement in newspapers in 25 countries on March 26, Arla stated that “Our presence in the region has given us an insight into your culture and values and about Islam. This understanding has, over many years, enabled us to supply high quality products which meet your preferences.”

God, it is said, works in mysterious ways. How else to explain this previously unknown symbiosis between the gathering of religious insight and the sale of dairy products?

So we see that the Danish government was complicit in this shameful commercial capitulation. Denmark’s government, it seems, is not monolithic. The American analogy might be the State Department versus the Defense Department — one agency ready to surrender obsequiously to any demand, the other standing firm on behalf of American interests.

And how much jizyah did Arla have to pay?

The centerpiece of the deal between Arla and Qaradawi is not the grovelling statement, but Arla’s offer to start humanitarian projects in the Middle East, including helping disabled children and cancer sufferers.

The terms of this deal had already been set in March during a conference convened by the Danish Foreign Ministry in Copenhagen. According to The New York Times, Amr Khaled, an Egyptian preacher, indicated that the boycott of Danish goods could end “if Danes and their government reached out with initiatives like help for small businesses, or health care.”

On his own Web site, Khaled had been even more explicit, announcing “We will not accept a symbolic apology. We want them to take actions that prove their respect for the Prophet.” Arla got the hint and paid up.

Arla’s behaviour is perhaps understandable. The boycott will apparently cost the company some $65-million, and has already forced it to lay off some 50 workers.

If the Jesse Jackson business model holds here, it would be Khaled’s cousin who gets the grant for a children’s medical center, and Sheikh Qaradawi’s brother-in-law would very conveniently open an oncology clinic.

The National Post concludes with an ironic historical reminder:

If extortion is not resisted, it is repeated. The Danes have a word for such regular payments: Danegeld.

Commenter Balder on a recent post about the Motoons broached the same topic. He’s glad that the “Buy Danish” campaign has taken off, but wants us to remember not to include Arla:

Some major Danish companies, and most notably the multinational dairy giant ARLA FOODS have been criticized heavily for trying to appease Muslim fundamentalists by coming with statements criticizing Jyllands Posten and the government. The company has bowed to the Islamists by apologizing for Danish freedom of speech.

Boycott ARLA, IKEA, GRUNDFOSS , and other companies which betrayed the values of the West...

We should never forget that mass third world immigration initially was a process staged by big companies that wanted cheap labor, and couldn’t care less for the long time cost and other consequences.

And it still is the largest companies, that support de-nationalization, globalization, betrayal of western values such as freedom of speech and woman’s rights, and appeasement to Muslim ideology…

The Danish Diary giant ARLA, which was initially boycotted by Muslim countries because of the Mohammed cartoons, has bent down its knees, and has praised ‘Muslim culture’ in many countries in the Middle East and has come with a number of apologizing statements to Muslim dictatorships. Statements, which are now heavily criticized by the Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen and other members of the Liberal Party, normally definitely the pro business party.

Another member of the Liberal Party, Jens Rohde, suggested they move their company’s main seat to Teheran.

Also Danish feminist organizations, as well as many individual Danes have protested against ARLA ‘s cowardice and disgracing appeasement policies.

Boycott ARLAARLA products are now no longer boycotted in the Arab world, but by the Danish public.

The same goes for the Danish Technological Company GRUNDFOSS (produces pumps etc.) that also betrayed the values of its home country and licked the butts of Arab dictators, rather than to support the values that brought them into business.

I hope the news of this boycott by free speech supporters and woman’s rights groups will also be spread to those websites that display ‘Support Denmark’ banners.

The multinational ARLA by the way, has been long criticized and boycotted in Denmark because of their abuse of their dominant market position, to try and eradicate smaller and often more ecologically minded dairies and small farmers in Denmark.

It would be great if all the I Support Denmark blogs, would also display an “ARLA NO THANKS” banner, since this company more than any other has stirred up the anger of freedom loving Danes. It would be too bad, if now they too would benefit from the “I Support Denmark Campaign”.

I’ll have to admit that the whole issue was very confusing at first. Buy Danish, but don’t buy Arla! Whenever I went to get my weekly supply of Havarti, I had to look closely to make sure that an unobtrusive little Arla logo wasn’t on it somewhere. And if Arla was the only brand of Danish cheese in the store, I had to go get a six-pack of Carlsberg to console myself with.

The “Buy Danish, boycott Arla” campaign is an economic version of a JDAM, a precision-guided effort to take out an appeasing dhimmi corporation while leaving the surrounding commercial structures intact.

I hope it’s working. I hope Arla is feeling the pain, and thinking twice about its kiss-the-feet-of-the-Arabs strategy.

The rest of the effort seems to have been effective, based on Denmark’s recent trade figures.


Hat tip: Erudito.

7 comments:

kepiblanc said...

As a matter of fact, when the "Buy Danish" campaign started all over the blogosphere several Danes published (on countless requests) lists of Danish products available worldwide and especially in the US. Just to mention a few :

Carlsberg & Tuborg Beer
Aalborg Akvavit (strong liquor)
Lego Toys
Royal Crown Ham & Bacon
Royal Greenland Seafoods
Royal Danish Porcellain
Bang & Olufsen TV & HiFi
Bruel & Kjaer Electronics
Ortofon Cartridges
Otterup Rifles
Amitech Computers
Vestas Wind Turbines
Danisco Foods
Novo Enzymes and Insulin
AudioVector Loudspeakers
Dali Loudspeakers
House of Prince Cigarettes
MacBaren Pipe Tobaccos
Stanwell Smoking Pipes
Ecco Shoes
Skagen Watches
Nilfisk Vacuum Cleaners
Danfoss Thermostats
Hummel Sportswear
B&W Marine Diesels
Hempel Marine Paint
Oticon Hearing Aids
Maersk Sealand Shipping
etc... etc...


But most of those lists explicitly warned against ARLA - correctly stating that :

- ARLA is half-part Swedish (you all know what that means
- ARLA is a Microsoft-style unscrupulous monopoly crushing all small competitors by whatever means it takes
- ARLA immediately backstabbed the Danish Government and brown-mouthed the Saudi Barbarians when the Cartoon Jihad started
- ARLA now has a home-market boycott on their hands. A substantial number of Danes don't buy "ALLAH Foods" - myself included.
- Boycotting ARLA doesn't harm Danish farmers - to the contrary: They just sell their milk to competing, decent dairies.

Conclusion : BUY DANISH - BOYCOTT ARLA.

kepiblanc said...

From Danish Broadcasting Company :

56 Turkish mayors risk 10 years in jail for writing letter to Danish Prime Minister

Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen is "shocked" to learn that 56 Turkish Mayors from Southeast Turkey may face 10 years imprisonment for writing him a letter.

In the letter, sent last December,they write that RoJ TV is of paramount importance for Turkish democracy. And they plea for a continued license to transmit in Denmark.

Fogh : Shocking
- I find it rather shocking if the situation is such that writing me a letter gets you indicted for a criminal offense. It is shocking if this takes place in a country applying for membership of the EU, Anders Fogh Rasmussen says.

The PM doesn't want to draw substantial consequences regarding an eventual Turkish EU-membership regarding the continued oppression of Turkey's Kurdish minority.

Conflict with EU-principles
- This is a rather serious situation. We cannot accept that Turkey does something so blatantly conflicting to those principles we expect from a EU candidate-nation, he says.

According to Turkish State Prosecutor the 56 mayors deliberately assisted the forbidden Kurdish Independence Party, PKK, by its appeal to the Danish PM not to close the Kurdish TV-station, RoJ, who broadcasts a variety of programs to a Kurdish audience in Denmark.

Investigation of RoJ
Turkey accuses RoJ TV of speaking for PKK. Just one week ago a mayor form the Kurdish part of the country was sentenced 15 months in prison for appearing on RoJ TV.

Turkey has repeatedly condemned Denmark for permitting the TV station.

http://www.dr.dk/Nyheder/Udland/2006/06/16/050735.htm

X said...

EU Principles What principles? EU member states are finally starting to reap their bitter harvest because of the EU's lack of principles. The current immigration problem in spain is entirely down to the Spanish using the EU as shield while they ravaged the fisheries off the north and east coasts of africa, driving thousands of local fisheries out of business, who then decided to move to spaibn becaus ethat's the only place they might be able to get work.

On current form Turkey is merely living up to the principles the EU displays.

kepiblanc said...

archonix--

Of course I couldn't agree more with you. The EU is nothing but a thugocracy based on the combined "principles" og Mein Kampf and the Qur'an. Fortunately it seems that our PM, Anders Fogh Rasmussen is beginning to realize that as well. Better late than never. It may even be that he secretly hopes for Turkish membership - knowing very well that if that should ever happen Denmark is out of EUrabistan sooner than you can say Jack Robinson.

But the case here was merely some sort of remark to turkishero, namely the state of affairs in Turkey. To the best of my knowledge the Kurds are Muslims inside a muslim country. Nice way to treat "brothers" I might add....

ceterum censeo EU esse delendam

Zonka said...

The EU is nothing but a thugocracy based on the combined "principles" og Mein Kampf and the Qur'an.

If that were the case then they would at least have principles! It is rather the case that EU is a place where the member countries park their failed politicians -- and continue to support the EU in fear of getting them back!!!

And you forgot "Das Kapital" ;)

Peter Mc said...

US trade with Denmark is up 17% offsetting the drop in trade from the middle east.

More here: http://www.liberalreview.com/blogs/editor/buying_danish

You may not like the title Liberal Review, but some Brit Liberals took (and take) a different view to what the US may perceive as liberal.

Dymphna said...

Peter --

I'm aware of the other mean of "liberal"; it used to mean that here, too. I'm old enough to remember the days when a "liberal" believed in liberty, free trade, and a strong national defense.

Not any more.