Denmark–Syria relations
Encyclopedia
Denmark–Syria relations are foreign relations between Denmark
and Syria
. Both countries established diplomatic relations on August 29, 1992. Denmark is represented in Syria through its embassy in Damascus
. Following the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
and subsequent attack on the Danish embassy in 2006, relations between the two countries were greatly strained.
, leather-bound copies of the Quran, and the flags of Hamas
and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Hundreds of protesters hurled stones at the Danish embassy before scaling it, amid chants of "God is great" before moving on to attack the Norwegian embassy. A bomb threat was also made against the Danish embassy although no bomb was found.
said that the governments of Iran and Syria had intentionally inflamed Muslim protests against a Danish newspaper's publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad to distract attention from their own diplomatic crises. He said "Syria and Iran have taken advantage of the situation because both countries are under international pressure," Rasmussen also said he would "not exclude the possibility" that Syria had also been involved in violent protests in Beirut
, Lebanon
referring to the fact that similar violence against the Danish Embassy in Beirut occurred the following day after the attacks in Damascus.
Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said that "Syria failed in its duty. It is completely unacceptable that the embassy was not protected by the Syrians". Stig Moeller said his government had also asked the European Union
to condemn events in Damascus. Shortly after the attack, the Danish government told its nationals to leave Syria immediately. Danish diplomatic staff also left Syria and temporarily closed its embassy stating that staff "have provisionally left Syria because Syrian authorities reduced their protection to an unacceptably low level".
Syria recalled its ambassador from Denmark. Danish goods including Lego
and Bang & Olufsen
were boycotted in Syria.
and Norway
placed the blame for the rioting squarely on the Syrian government for failing to protect the embassies. The US Government said it was "inexcusable" for such damage to be inflicted on diplomatic missions. US President George W Bush condemned the violence against Danish embassies and spoke about this incident in a phone call to the Danish Prime Minister. Bush also said "I call upon the governments around the world to stop the violence, to be respectful, to protect property, protect the lives of innocent diplomats who are serving their countries overseas." Scott McClellan
, the White House Press Secretary
said “We hold Syria responsible for such violent demonstrations since they do not take place in that country without government knowledge and support,”
In January 2007, Danish embassy staff including the ambassador evacuated the country following security concerns.
in Damascus which opened in 2000.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. Both countries established diplomatic relations on August 29, 1992. Denmark is represented in Syria through its embassy in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
. Following the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
and subsequent attack on the Danish embassy in 2006, relations between the two countries were greatly strained.
Reaction to Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons and violence against Danish Embassy
Following the publication of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons, relations between the two countries were greatly strained. On 4 February 2006, the Danish and Norwegian Embassies in Damascus were torched by protestors. They waved portraits of Syrian President Bashar al-AssadBashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
, leather-bound copies of the Quran, and the flags of Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Hundreds of protesters hurled stones at the Danish embassy before scaling it, amid chants of "God is great" before moving on to attack the Norwegian embassy. A bomb threat was also made against the Danish embassy although no bomb was found.
Danish Government response
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh RasmussenAnders Fogh Rasmussen
Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a Danish politician, and the 12th and current Secretary General of NATO. Rasmussen served as Prime Minister of Denmark from 27 November 2001 to 5 April 2009....
said that the governments of Iran and Syria had intentionally inflamed Muslim protests against a Danish newspaper's publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad to distract attention from their own diplomatic crises. He said "Syria and Iran have taken advantage of the situation because both countries are under international pressure," Rasmussen also said he would "not exclude the possibility" that Syria had also been involved in violent protests in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
referring to the fact that similar violence against the Danish Embassy in Beirut occurred the following day after the attacks in Damascus.
Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller said that "Syria failed in its duty. It is completely unacceptable that the embassy was not protected by the Syrians". Stig Moeller said his government had also asked the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
to condemn events in Damascus. Shortly after the attack, the Danish government told its nationals to leave Syria immediately. Danish diplomatic staff also left Syria and temporarily closed its embassy stating that staff "have provisionally left Syria because Syrian authorities reduced their protection to an unacceptably low level".
Syrian response
A day after the attacks, Syria's foreign ministry issued a statement expressing "its regret over the acts of violence which accompanied the protests." The Syrian Government denied any role in the attacks and blamed Denmark for the violence and an editorial in Syria's state-run daily newspaper said that "Denmark's government could have avoided reaching this point simply by issuing a sincere apology". Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned the cartoons as an offence to Muslims and Arabs and demanded the Danish government punish the offending paper.Syria recalled its ambassador from Denmark. Danish goods including Lego
Lego
Lego is a line of construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. The company's flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, minifigures and various other parts...
and Bang & Olufsen
Bang & Olufsen
Bang & Olufsen is a Danish company that designs and manufactures audio products, television sets and telephones. It was founded in 1925 by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, whose first significant product was a radio that worked with alternating current, when most radios were run from batteries...
were boycotted in Syria.
Response from others
The governments of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
placed the blame for the rioting squarely on the Syrian government for failing to protect the embassies. The US Government said it was "inexcusable" for such damage to be inflicted on diplomatic missions. US President George W Bush condemned the violence against Danish embassies and spoke about this incident in a phone call to the Danish Prime Minister. Bush also said "I call upon the governments around the world to stop the violence, to be respectful, to protect property, protect the lives of innocent diplomats who are serving their countries overseas." Scott McClellan
Scott McClellan
Scott McClellan is a former White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush, and author of a controversial No. 1 New York Times bestseller about the Bush Administration titled What Happened. He replaced Ari Fleischer as press secretary in July 2003 and served until May 10, 2006...
, the White House Press Secretary
White House Press Secretary
The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
said “We hold Syria responsible for such violent demonstrations since they do not take place in that country without government knowledge and support,”
Ensuing relations
On the 27 February, Denmark's ambassador to Syria, Ole Egberg Mikkelsen, returned to Damascus, where he had a meeting with where he had a meeting with the Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister, Ahmad Arnous They discussed how to enhance bilateral relations through dialogue and mutual understanding and Minister Arnous stressed Syria's keenness to continue relations with Denmark. The Syrian Government said it would compensate for the damages made in these incidents to embassies. However, by February 2007, it was reported Denmark had received no compensation from the Syrian Government for the damage.In January 2007, Danish embassy staff including the ambassador evacuated the country following security concerns.
Cultural relations
The Danish government has also a Danish Institute based in Bayt al-AqqadBayt al-Aqqad
Bayt al-Aqqad is an old Damascene house that hosts the Danish Institute in Damascus, Syria. The history of the building is more than 2000 years: Remains of the theatre of Herod the Great were found in the outer walls and now forms a part of the wall in the secretary’s office...
in Damascus which opened in 2000.
See also
- Foreign relations of DenmarkForeign relations of DenmarkDanish foreign policy is based on its identity as a sovereign nation in Europe. As such its primary foreign policy focus is on its relations with other nations as a sovereign independent nation. Denmark has long had good relations with other nations....
- Foreign relations of SyriaForeign relations of SyriaEnsuring national security, increasing influence among its Arab neighbors, and achieving a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace settlement, which includes the return of the Golan Heights, are the primary goals of President Bashar al-Assad's foreign policy...
- International reactions to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversyInternational reactions to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversyThe publication of satirical cartoons of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on September 30, 2005 led to violence, arrests, inter-governmental tensions, and debate about the scope of free speech and the place of Muslims in the West. Many Muslims claim that any...