Democratic Muslims

While the lying imams from the Danish Islamic Community were agitating the Middle East with their fake Mohammed cartoons - Danish Muslims at home were beginning to voice their disagreement.

As Tariq Sundoo, chairman for the Danish Pakistani Friendship Union, said, "It's also our flag that's being burned". Very soon Danish Muslims were requesting a new imam action (Danish article from January 30, my translation).

This has gone out of control, and they have clearly misinformed about the case - among other things in connecting Jyllands-Posten with Denmark as a nation. Now, several Danish enterprises are severely affected by the boycott, even if the companies have nothing to do with the case. The imams must travel down and urge them to stop the action against Denmark,« says Ben Haddou, job consultant and former member of Copenhagen's city council.

[. . .]

»Now Abu Laban must step forward and tell the truth, for instance on the TV-station Al Jazeera. It's his people who has been sent out and has triggered this. If you are truly a Muslim, your will not be interested in your country having troubles. The prophet Mohammed would never want this« says Ben Haddou.

[. . .]

Mustafa Gezen, deputy chairman for the union Dialog Forum, which tries to establish a dialog between religions and cultures, also believes that the delegations should show their true colours.

»Naturally they should travel on the same route and tell not to boycott Danish goods, because the enterprises have nothing to do with the case« says Mustafa Gezen. He emphasizes that all sides - including the government, Jyllands-Posten and Muslims - ought to initiate a dialog to stop the boycott.

Hadi Khan, who participates in member of the parliament Naser Khader's network, which tries to establish an alternate voice to the imams, thinks that the delegations ought to be »just as proactive as they were with the pictures.«

»I don't now how great the effect would be, but they have taken part in damaging the country, so let us see, whether they are also able to benefit us,« he says.

Zubair Butt Hussain, spokesman for the union Muslims in Dialog, which tries to activate Danish Muslims, says that he personally is prepared to go to the Middle East to settle the strife.

»The present situation is in no way beneficial for any of the parties, neither for the Danish Muslims. If I should be asked, I'm prepared to travel no matter the consequences, because the issue is so important. But it will take a precise coordination with an umbrella organisation for Danish enterprises.«

Zubair Butt Hussain is skeptical when it comes to sending the same delegations off:

»Maybe it's an idea with fresh blood, because there may be a distrust among the population towards those, who already has gone abroad. Whether this is well-founded is not for me to decide.«

Muharrem Aydas, leader of the web portal etnic.dk, and Uzma Andresen, chairman for the Union of Ethnic Minorities, do not think that the imams have the competence to solve such a task.

So there was a growing dissatisfaction among Muslims with Laban's handiwork. But Abu Laban could not find fault with himself (same article):

Imam Abu Laban says, that if one sends the same delegations off, they'll travel »empty handed«.

»We are prepared to do everything, but first we have to know the problem precisely. If they appear again, they will be asked what has changed. Nothing. But why travel then?«

Abu Laban denies that his men has a responsibility for the escalating boycott.

»The fault lies with ministries, universities, embassies and the newspapers. Not just Jyllands-Posten, but all great institutions in Denmark should have explained the case better. Nobody shall accuse us« says he.

Khader has "Democracy" in Arabic tattooed on his upper arm

Several Muslims have started making new networks (Moderate Muslims say stop Danish text). One of these are Naser Khader, member of the Danish 'folketing' (parliament) who created a new network called Demokratiske Muslimer.

Syrian born Khader calls himself "Muslim light" and has never been popular with Abu Laban. In fact Laban considers Khader an apostate and Laban - the welfare recipient - is too proud to shake hands with Khader - the member of the parliament. Khader has spent 100,000 kroner (16,000 USD) on home security - and is presently accompanied by two officers from PET (The Danish Security Intelligence Service)

It's not Khader's intention to make an "al-Khader network". Once it's on a going concern, he'll step into the background. So far the network has 700 Muslim members and 2,500 non-Muslim supporters. The government has dropped all talks with Abu Laban, who in return has called Khader and Ayan Hirsi for "rats in the hole".

Read Naser Khader's ten commandments of Democracy.

Added: Read more about Naser Khader here: A Prize Immigrant. Note: This article has recently been retitled (and thus has a new URL).