I am absolutely amazed at how arrogant the Saudis are getting. They have more oil that all the other countries in the world combined, and with this immense power come much responsibility, but in this case, just a sense of omnipotence.
In the following letter sent to the Danish newspaper Berlingske, the high horse that these Saudis are sitting on at this time is just a disgrace and something that we need to stamp out and blatantly refuse.
If we give these people an inch, they will take a mile, and with it, out livelihood.
AHMED ZAKI YAMANI
Lawyers and & Legal Consultants
Since 1956
By fax 0045 3375 2020 and e-mail likn@berlingske.dk
Berlingske Tidende
Pilestræde 34
1147 København K
Denmark
Att.: Ansvarshavende Chefredaktør Nis, Lisbeth Knudsen
Jeddah, 28 August 2009
Dear Ms. Lisbeth Knudsen,
Re.: Mr. Kurt Westergaard’s drawing of the Prophet Mohammed
I am writing to you in relation to your newspaper’s re-publication, on 13 February 2008, of Mr. Kurt Westergaard’s drawing of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him).
Over the past months my law firm has been contacted by several thousand descendants of’ the Prophet, who have learned about your newspaper’s re-publication of the drawing, depicting their esteemed ancestor as a terrorist suicide bomber with a bomb in his turban.
As descendants of the Prophet, these individuals feel personally insulted, emotionally distressed and defamed by your newspaper’s re-publication of the drawing. They have therefore retained my law firm and instructed me to approach you, as well as the editors of other Danish newspapers, which re-published the drawing last year.
Accordingly, I am now contacting you with the request that you, first of all, remove the drawing of the Prophet Mohammed from any Internet websites, which your newspaper owns, controls, or have [sic] posted the drawing on. The drawing must be removed before the end of September 2009.
- - - - - - - - -
I secondly request that you, on behalf of your newspaper, before the end of September 2009, issue a clear, public and unconditional correction and apology for the insult and injury which your newspaper committed when it re-published the drawing by Mr. Westergaard last year. The correction and apology must be announced in a “teaser” on the front page and printed on one of the first three pages of your newspaper in all four of the English, French, Danish and Arabic texts that are contained in the appendix attached to this letter. These four texts must furthermore be published on the Internet version of your newspaper as one of the top headline stories. which must be available for at least 30 days from the date of the publication.
Thirdly, my clients have instructed me to request you to confirm and undertake that your newspaper will not again print or otherwise make public any similar drawings or materials concerning the Prophet Mohammed, since they affect my clients directly and personally due to their common ancestry and their status in the Muslim world. The apology in the attached appendix contains wording to this effect, as you can see.
If you fulfil these conditions before the end of September 2009 my clients will be satisfied and refrain from taking further legal action against your newspaper.
Furthermore, it is my belief that your newspaper’s fulfilment of the above-mentioned conditions would be perceived as a sign of respect and understanding throughout the Muslim world in general, and your newspaper might thus help resolve the severe conflict, which your re-publication of the drawing has created. As you may be aware, this conflict is still affecting Danish and Arab interests, in particular in the Middle East, where a number of Danish products are still being boycotted.
I invite you to respond to this letter at your earliest convenience and in any event before 30 days from the date of this letter by informing me whether you intend to fulfil the above-mentioned conditions.
If you decide not to fulfil the above-mentioned conditions, please note that this letter is by no means a waiver of any legal rights of my clients, including in particular their fight to bring a lawsuit against you and your newspaper for defamation. Accordingly, I reserve all rights of my clients in this matter.
Sincerely yours,
[signature]
Faisal A. Z. Yamani
Attorney-at-Law
In the following letter sent to the Danish newspaper Berlingske, the high horse that these Saudis are sitting on at this time is just a disgrace and something that we need to stamp out and blatantly refuse.
If we give these people an inch, they will take a mile, and with it, out livelihood.
AHMED ZAKI YAMANI
Lawyers and & Legal Consultants
Since 1956
By fax 0045 3375 2020 and e-mail likn@berlingske.dk
Berlingske Tidende
Pilestræde 34
1147 København K
Denmark
Att.: Ansvarshavende Chefredaktør Nis, Lisbeth Knudsen
Jeddah, 28 August 2009
Dear Ms. Lisbeth Knudsen,
Re.: Mr. Kurt Westergaard’s drawing of the Prophet Mohammed
I am writing to you in relation to your newspaper’s re-publication, on 13 February 2008, of Mr. Kurt Westergaard’s drawing of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him).
Over the past months my law firm has been contacted by several thousand descendants of’ the Prophet, who have learned about your newspaper’s re-publication of the drawing, depicting their esteemed ancestor as a terrorist suicide bomber with a bomb in his turban.
As descendants of the Prophet, these individuals feel personally insulted, emotionally distressed and defamed by your newspaper’s re-publication of the drawing. They have therefore retained my law firm and instructed me to approach you, as well as the editors of other Danish newspapers, which re-published the drawing last year.
Accordingly, I am now contacting you with the request that you, first of all, remove the drawing of the Prophet Mohammed from any Internet websites, which your newspaper owns, controls, or have [sic] posted the drawing on. The drawing must be removed before the end of September 2009.
- - - - - - - - -
I secondly request that you, on behalf of your newspaper, before the end of September 2009, issue a clear, public and unconditional correction and apology for the insult and injury which your newspaper committed when it re-published the drawing by Mr. Westergaard last year. The correction and apology must be announced in a “teaser” on the front page and printed on one of the first three pages of your newspaper in all four of the English, French, Danish and Arabic texts that are contained in the appendix attached to this letter. These four texts must furthermore be published on the Internet version of your newspaper as one of the top headline stories. which must be available for at least 30 days from the date of the publication.
Thirdly, my clients have instructed me to request you to confirm and undertake that your newspaper will not again print or otherwise make public any similar drawings or materials concerning the Prophet Mohammed, since they affect my clients directly and personally due to their common ancestry and their status in the Muslim world. The apology in the attached appendix contains wording to this effect, as you can see.
If you fulfil these conditions before the end of September 2009 my clients will be satisfied and refrain from taking further legal action against your newspaper.
Furthermore, it is my belief that your newspaper’s fulfilment of the above-mentioned conditions would be perceived as a sign of respect and understanding throughout the Muslim world in general, and your newspaper might thus help resolve the severe conflict, which your re-publication of the drawing has created. As you may be aware, this conflict is still affecting Danish and Arab interests, in particular in the Middle East, where a number of Danish products are still being boycotted.
I invite you to respond to this letter at your earliest convenience and in any event before 30 days from the date of this letter by informing me whether you intend to fulfil the above-mentioned conditions.
If you decide not to fulfil the above-mentioned conditions, please note that this letter is by no means a waiver of any legal rights of my clients, including in particular their fight to bring a lawsuit against you and your newspaper for defamation. Accordingly, I reserve all rights of my clients in this matter.
Sincerely yours,
[signature]
Faisal A. Z. Yamani
Attorney-at-Law
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