Attacks on Danish interests intensify

Tear gas has been used to disperse hundreds of angry protestors who hurled stones and fire bombs at the Danish Embassy in Tehran. It is the second time the building has been targeted. This is the latest incident in a wave of anti-Danish sentiment sweeping the Islamic world over the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed in European newspapers.

Iran has said it will cut all trade ties with Denmark. The move could cost the Danish economy over 230 million euros per year. The international community has called for dialogue:

“I understand that religious sensibilities have been affected, and that should be expressed, but violence will only ever be a form of confrontation.” said German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Denmark, meanwhile, has issued a list of 14 muslim countries its citizens should avoid.

Many flights out of Copenhagen airport to the Middle East have been cancelled. Danish goods and services are threatened in 20 muslim countries, representing more than a billion euros in revenue for the Scandinavian country each year.

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