Burning the flag

According to this morning's Times there were demonstrations and flag burnings in Islamic countries yesterday. Ambassadors have been recalled and boycotts are under way.

The flag they're burning is the Danish flag. Yes, Denmark's flag. Sort of hard to imagine in many ways, but apparently this all goes back to some cartoons that appeared in the Danish newspaper Morgenavisen Jyllends-Posten back in September. The Saudis want the Danish Prime Minister to apologize, but he has refused. It actually sounds serious.

The Danish Government warned its citizens about travelling to Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Syria, and withdrew aid workers from the Gaza Strip.

Last night EU foreign ministers issued a statement in support of Denmark, and the European Commission threatened to report any government backing the boycott to the World Trade Organisation.

Now, I understand getting a little ticked when some wiseacre takes a poke at your faith, but there does seem to be a lack of proportion here.

Anyway, it seems the editor of the Jyllands-Posten is a tad uneasy about it all and has published an almost surreal letter to (the) Honourable Citizens of The Muslim World. (What? Do Muslims come from Vulcan?)