two tongues, how did the company experience that episode and how did you handle it? I have read though that you opened a blog on your homepage where you communicated directly with the consumers, who had a comment or a question to the advertisement, but did you initiate other things in order to cope with this situation?
Reply: “No, the best we could do in order to avoid the accusation of talking with two tongues, was to say the same both in Denmark and the Middle East. However, it was the Arabic translation of the message that provoke infuriation among many people in Denmark”.
Question 6: Lastly I would like to know, what Arla’s position is today, and how the export to the region is going. It would be very helpful if you could provide me with some figures, or if you could refer to certain pages on your website, where I could find such information
78 Reply: “our expected sale for 2009 is approximately at 70 per cent compared to the amount we sold in 2005. So we are on track, however with lower expectations prior to the cartoon crisis”.
79 EnEncclolossuurere 33. . LeLetttteerr frfroom m ththee MuMuslsliimm amambbaassssaaddoorrss toto PrPriimmee MMiinniisstteerr,, AnAnddererss FoFogghh RaRassmmuussssenen,, 1122 OOccttoobeberr 2200005 5
Source www.danmarkshistorien.dk
Excellency,
The undersigned Ambassadors, Cd'a.i. and Head of Palestinian General Delegation accredited to Denmark take this opportunity to draw your attention to an urgent matter. This pertains to on-going smearing campaign in Danish public circles and media against Islam and Muslims. Radio Holger's remarks for which it was indicted, DF MP and Mayoral candidate Louise Frevert's derogatory remarks, Culture Minister Brian Mikkelsen's statement on war against Muslims and Daily Jyllands-Posten's cultural page inviting people to draw sketches of Holy Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) are some recent examples. We strongly feel that casting aspersions on Islam as a religion and publishing demeaning caricatures of Holy Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) goes against the spirit of Danish values of tolerance and civil society. This is on the whole a very discriminatory tendency and does not bode well with the high human rights standards of Denmark. We may underline that it can also cause reactions in Muslim countries and among Muslim communities in Europe.
In your speech at the opening of Danish Parliament, Your Excellency rightly underlined that terrorists should not be allowed to abuse Islam for their crimes. In the same token, Danish press and public representatives should not be allowed to abuse Islam in the name of democracy, freedom of expression and human rights, the values that we all share. We deplore these statements and publications and urge Your Excellency's government to take all those responsible to task under law of the land in the interest of inter-faith harmony, better integration and Denmark's overall
relations with Muslim world. We rest assured that you will take all steps necessary.
Given the sensitive nature of the matter, we request an urgent meeting at your convenience. An early response would be greatly appreciated. Please accept, Excellency, best wishes and assurances of our highest consideration.
Ambassador of Turkey
(Mohammed Ibrahim Al-Hejailan) Ambassador of Saudi Arabia
80 (Ahmed Danialy)
Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran (Javed A. Qureshi)
Ambassador of Pakistan (Mona Omar Attia) Ambassador of Egypt (Perwitorini Wijono) Ambassador of Indonesia (Latifa Benazza)
Ambassador of Algeria (Sead Maslo)
Ambassador of Bosnia Herzegovina (Mohammed E.R. Rimali)
www.danmarkshistorien.dk, Institut for Historie og Områdestudier, Aarhus Universitet
Libyan Embassy
(El Houssaine Ouestitane)
Charge d.Affaires a.i. of Marocco (Maie F.B. Sarraf)
Head of Palestinian General Delegation
CC: H.E. Per Stig Møller, Foreign Minister, Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Copenhagen, Denmark.
81 EnEncclolossuurere 44. . LLeetttteerr ffrroomm CCEEOO,, PPeedderer TuTuboborgrgh h ttoo tthhee PPrriimmee MMininiisstteerr
(Hansen and Hundevadt. 2006:152-153)
Dear Anders Fogh Rasmussen
I’m writing to you to ask you for the government’s active involvement to solve this conflict, which has now reached unheard proportions. The debate of freedom of speech, which we all support, is an issue concerning domestic political affairs. On the contrary the case is now that the populations in the Arabic countries are of the belief that the official Denmark has offended their religion in the possible way ever. I assume that the government wishes to see this misunderstanding redressed immediately.
It is in my opinion the government’s responsibility to deal with this irreversible damage, which has afflicted Danish workplaces and Danish interests in the Middle East and actively contributed to secure the freedom of action of Danish companies. I therefore ask urge the Prime Minister to actively step into the scene and be a frontier to create positive dialog and communicate comprehensive information to the populations of the Arabic countries.
We at Arla Foods have many years of experience and good relations to the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia. I have among other places lived in Riyadh in 4-5 years. It is our clear position and experience that this conflict cannot be solved unless the Prime Minister himself lead the way to dialogue, especially with the Saudi Arabian population.
I hereby repeat that I wish for an immediate meeting with the Prime Minister, in order to explain Arla’s situation and to suggest in which way Denmark immediately should launch an information campaign in Saudi Arabia. Arla will be happy to participate in all sorts of resources in a campaign from Danish side.
Enclosed you will find an outline of Arla’s situation. As the matter of fact I cannot mentioned an incident which has had a disastrous effect, with consequences for both our employees as well as our stakeholders, approx 11,000 Danish and Swedish farmers.
I look forward receiving an answer to this request.
82 EnEncclolossuurere 55. . AAddveverrttiisseememennt t iinn tthhe e MMididddlele EEaasstt
(“Arla forsøger et comeback i Mellemøsten”, arlafoods.dk 18-03-2006)
Arla foods distancing itself from the cartoons
Statement from Arla Foods
At Arla Foods we feel that it is our duty to bring to your attention our position on the unfortunate event which took place a few months ago. We are also addressing the conference for International Support for the Prophet to take place on March 22nd and 23rd 2006 to explain our point of view.
Arla Foods distance itself from the act of Jyllands-Posten in choosing to print caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad and we do not share the newspaper’s reasons for doing so.
Having been in the Middle East for 40 years, participating as an active and integrated part of the community, we understand that you feel offended. Our presence in the region has brought us knowledge of your culture, values and your religion, Islam. This understanding has been the basis of our being able to provide you with good products of the highest quality and with the taste you demand through many years. We have built brands such as Lurpak, Puck, The Three Cows and Dano through your confidence in our products. Therefore we understand and respect your reaction, leading to the boycott of our products as a result of the irresponsible and unfortunate incident.
We would also like to use this opportunity to provide you with vital information about our company.
Arla is a Danish-Swedish cooperative, owned by the farmers. Our subsidiary in the Middle East has investors and business partners from the Arab world. Arla is employing on the order of 1.000 Muslims in the Arab and Islamic world together with more than 250 in Europe. All of them have felt offended by these cartoons. Arla’s trade was hit in the Middle East not as a result of our own actions but as a result of those of others.
Honored citizens, the years we have been in your world has taught us that justice and tolerance are fundamental values of Islam. We would like to cooperate with Islamic organizations to find a solution to the boycott of Arla’s products. We only ask you to consider this and hopefully, to consider your stance towards our company.
83 Now you know more about who we are, how we think and what we think. We will leave the rest up to you.
Arla Foods
84 9.9.BBIBIBLLIIOGOGRRAAPPHHYY
Books
Frandsen, Finn og Johansen, Winni. Krisekommunikation: Når virksomhedens image og omdømme er truet, Samfundsliteratur 2007
Ghazi, Muhammad Tariq. The Cartoons Cry. Author House, 2006
Hansen, John og Hundevadt, Kim, “Provoen og profeten – Muhammedkrisen bag kulisserne”, Jyllands-Postens Forlag, 2006
Kragh, Simon Ulrik, ”Koncern ideologi og natioanlisme – et studie af et amerikask olieselskabs image i peru.” Handelshøjskolen i København, 1988
Scruton, Roger. The West and the Rest – Globalisation and the theorist threat. Continuum 2002
Articles from the internet
The Cartoon crisis – how it unfolded. www.jp.dk (retrieved 15/9-2008) Case: Boykot I Mellemøsten www.arlafoods.dk (retrieved 15/9-2008)
Arla berørt af reaktion på tegninger www.arlafoods.dk (retrieved 15/9- 2008)
Arla sikre offentliggørelse af regeringens pressemeddelelse www.arlafoods.dk (retrieved 15/9-2008)
Arlas salg i Mellemøsten står stille www.arlafoods.dk (retrieved 15/9-2008) Arla stiller alle resourcer til rådighed www.arlafoods.dk (retrieved 15/9-2008)
Arla på Mellemøstens største fødevaremesse www.arlafoods.dk (retrieved 15/9-2008) Boykot i Mellemøsten koster Arla 400 millioner www.arlafoods.dk (retrieved 15/9-2008) Arlas salg i Mellemøsten står stille www.arlafoods.dk (retrieved 15/9-2008)
Arla forsøger et comeback i Mellemøsten www.arlafoods.dk (retrieved 15/9-2008) Græd aldrig over spildt mælk www.kommunikationsforum.dk (retrieved 15/9-2008) The Muhammad Cartoon Timeline www.timeonline.co.uk (retrieved 15/9-2008)