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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman">Dear All,</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Although most of the
Western world has witnessed a tremendous increase in the anti-Muslim
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">rhetoric in the mass media
and political discourse after the 9/11, and the Muslim expatriates
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">feel insecure in many
European countries under new anti-terror legislations, the situation
in<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
/><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Denmark</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> has become bad to worse<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>for the Muslim population of roughly
175.000 in a <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">nation of <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>6 million people in the Nordic
hemisphere. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Even prior to
the dramatic events of 9/11, </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN
lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Denmark</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> has been subjected to sever criticism
by<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">no less than the European
Council’s Committee Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)
in<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">its Second Country Report
(Spring, 2001) for failing to check for growing xenophobia and
anti-Muslim<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">prejudice. Several other
independent scholarly reports and doctoral theses have in the recent
past<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">repeatedly demonstrated
that the media and political propaganda against the vulnerable
minorities<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">has crossed all the limits
of decency and the true meaning of freedom of expression in a
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">democratic society. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However the anti-Muslim rhetoric and all
the thinkable symbolic violence<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">to hurt the Muslims seems
to have no end in the Danish press and television.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The media in symbiosis with
the political elite of this country by their blatant provocations
are<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">potentially pushing the
otherwise peaceful Muslims to extremism and towards a
total<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">seclusion from the rest of
the society. The ordinary labour market is already closed for the
mainly<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Muslim
minorities and a number of youth being educated in
</SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Denmark</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> are turning to
</SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">England</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> and <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">even the
</SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">USA</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> for employment opportunities. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I will spare the members of the
list for the <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">countless, and baseless,
allegation against the Muslims by the political and the media elite
of<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">the country, but would draw
their attention to a very recent attempt by an influential newspaper, JP,
to<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">stir more troubles and
insecurity for the Muslims by publishing 12 different cartoons of
their<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">prophet Muhammed among
which one is shown wearing an Arabic head-gear
(turban)<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">with a hidden bomb
underneath it.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>And all this under
the holiest month of Ramadan for the Muslims.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">About twelve
ambassadors from the Muslim countries, including from
</SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Pakistan</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">, wrote a letter<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">of concern to the Prime
Minister of Denmark (who also carries an informal title of Minister of the
Press),<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">the leader of the Liberals,
Mr. Fogh Rasmussen. He bluntly refused to acknowledge their concern
by<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">referring to the typical
rhetorical move that “we have freedom of press and expression in this
country”.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The ambassadors later on
requested to meet with him personally to explain their viewpoint, which he also
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">turned down, advising them
to go to the courts.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Now interestingly, the same
newspapers and the politicians who beat the drums of freedom of
expression<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">as a pretext to provoke the
Muslim communities, blame the Muslims for not respecting our
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">freedom of expression, when
the Muslim use their freedom of expression showing that their religious feelings
are<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">hurt by such acts of
provocations. Through such circular argument the elite keep on reproducing
hatred<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">against the Muslims and
their alienation from the society. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">It is hard to be convinced
whether terrorism or extremism is an innate Islamic quality or it intentionally
is<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">being bred by the
anti-Muslim ideology of the elite (also) of this country.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Even the press
in </SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Israel</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">, who has been at war with the Muslims for
many years, has not gone to such extremes, <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">which one may witness in
the Danish press with the full backing of the governing
elite.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Hurting other religious
minorities of any faith has never been a democratic value or a truly secular
deed.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">But then perhaps one should
comfort oneself by recalling the famous phrase from
Shakespeare’s<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">formidable drama
Helmet that, <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Something is rotten in
</SPAN><st1:country-region><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Denmark</SPAN></st1:place></st1:country-region><SPAN
lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">! <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Mustafa
Hussain<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><st1:City><st1:place><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Copenhagen</SPAN></st1:place></st1:City><SPAN lang=EN-GB
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman"
size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>