Politiken journos reject apology to dodgy Saudi lawyer
38 journalists at Politiken, the newspaper that shamefully apologised for reprinting a Motoon, have raised their objections to the actions of their chief editor.
In a letter printed in Saturday’s paper, they say:
The settlement gives the impression that we regret our journalism, something for which there is no basis for whatsoever.
As it turns out, the Saudi law firm which claimed to be acting on behalf of 94,000 descendants of Mo are actually just a father and acting on their own. As Berlingske reports:
The lawyer wrote that he’s working for thousands of Mohmmad’s descendants, who feel insulted by the papers reprinting the cartoons, and that they asked him to turn to the papers and ask for an apology.
As it turns out, Faisal A Z Yamani and his wealthy father Zaki Yamani, took the initiative on their own. In April 2008 they wrote on an Arab chat-forum that they will sue for themselves, so that the editors will be punished.
The revelation that Faisal Yamani is a con artist prompted Conservative integration spokesperson Naser Khader to demand that Politiken’s chief editor make yet another apology:
The reality is that it’s this family’s own initiative to raise their profile. I actually think that Tøger Seidenfaden should officially apologize to the Danes for his naivety.
As well as lying about who he was representing, the tricky Mr Yamani has also put a dishonest spin on the nature of the apology in a press release, making it look like Politiken had conceded a lot more than they actually did:
We thank God for our success in reaching a settlement with the Danish Newspaper which has recognized its mistake, apologized, and indicated not to reoffend Muslims and their Prophet (peace be upon him).
In fact, Politiken were quite explicit in insisting that they retain the right to reprint the cartoon. So it is hard to figure out what Yamani means when he says they “indicated not to reoffend Muslims and their Prophet”.
To sum up: a Danish newspaper was conned into making a cringing non-apology by a dodgy law firm who subsequently misrepresented the apology as something much bigger than it actually was.
And all because of a cartoon:
(Hat tip Islam in Europe and The Comics Reporter)
I am glad that at least no more images of this awful cartoon will be published on the net, thus avoiding further distress and upset for sensitive Muslim souls. (Boom! Boom!)
[…] Politiken for printing the cartoons.Incorrect: Politiken staff rejects prophet drawing apologyPolitiken journos reject apology to dodgy Saudi lawyerThe cartoons first appeared in Jyllands-Posten as part of its campaign to promote freedom of […]