Danish Mohammed Cartoons

Akkari: My departure from Islamism

In my last post, 9 months ago, I reported how one of the main instigators behind the Mohammed Crisis, Ahmed Akkari, now regrets his actions.

Since then he has apologized profusely to everybody -- appearing in every Danish media and even on the BBC radio (2nd Aug 2013). With the help of Anders Fogh Rasmussen's old spin doctor, Michael Ulveman, he has also attempted to get on Al Jazeera, but without success. It seems Al Jazeera found it more opportune to write about Muslims suffering in Syria and everywhere else, rather than dwell on the Muslim double dealings of yesteryear. However there is an article on Al Arabiya News: Danish Muslim leader regrets role in cartoon rage

Here are just two articles: Ahmad Akkari, Danish Muslim: I was wrong to damn Muhammad cartoons (the Guardian) The imam who defected: Extremists run all Danish mosques (International dispatch).

But what is much more important is that he has now written a book: "My departure from Islamism, the Mohammed Crisis, the double dealing and the struggle against Denmark".

In the first part of the book he describes in detail how Muslim private schools -- funded by Danish tax money -- brainwash generation after generation of young Muslim immigrants and teach them to hate the Western secular world.

Akkari's case was a bit different because he was from a secular family and had attended Danish public schools. Instead he was caught by the mosques where the warm welcome of the older members gave the young insecure teenager the attention and identity that he craved. In fact it only took a few months to convert him from a secular, model school pupil into an Islamist who refused to shake hands with his female teacher at graduation day.

The second part of the book details how the crisis was orchestrated by a handful of Danish Imams. I was slightly surprised to read about the strong ties between Raed Hlayhel and Akkari -- leaving Abu Laban as a more reluctant third player.

Among other surprises are that during the tours of the Middle East, the Imams had meetings with the Amal Movement as well as the terror organisations Hamas and Hezbollah (Pages 289-294. See Mohammed delegation met with Hamas and Hezbollah, CPH Post).

The Danish Imams didn't ask for anything in particular, but obviously if you ask two terror groups to "take action" and then show them a number a fake Mohammed cartoons with Mohammed as a pig or Mohammed as a pedophile demon, you know what the result will be.

Akkari: "I needed a breating hole."  Drawing by Rasmus Sand Høyer

It also appears that the dairy giant Arla paid an unspecified amount to the clerics in order to the get the consumer ban lifted. (page 378).

The third part of the book is about his way back to normal life, re-finding his own secular self. Two years working as a school teacher on Greenland (picture to the left) gave him time to read a lot of books and to think a lot of thoughts.

The books ends with a short appeal to fight Islamism and the words: "Finally I would like to say to Denmark: Sorry. And thanks for everything".

Parts of the book can be previewed on Google Books: Ahmed Akkari: Min afsked med islamismen. Chapter 1 can be read here: Ahmed Akkari: Min afsked med islamismen.