Danish Cartoon Crisis
The challenge:
In 2005, a cartoon in Jyllands-Posten, a Danish newspaper, created a firestorm of controversy, as the Muslim community in Denmark took to the streets to protest what they perceived to be an improper depiction of their faith. The situation involved rioting in the streets around the world and a boycott in Saudi Arabia (with the potential to spread to other Muslim countries) of products sold by Danish companies. Our client was a Danish food company with an extensive Middle Eastern distribution network. The boycott was costing them $1 million per day and had the serious potential to cost them even more.
Numerous competing interests, including ethnic and religious minorities, business, political and media organizations contributed to the overall dilemma. The company faced the increasingly marginalized European Muslim community who felt helpless in facing down prejudicial elements in their adopted home country. Consequently the grievances of this minority group extended all the way into the Middle East and the heart of our client’s major markets.
Our role:
Outreach Strategists identified the key stakeholders in the crisis and managed the process of easing tensions and addressing their concerns. We found ways to empower the European minority groups by developing a non-violent, professional approach to assist them in expressing their political frustrations. This led directly to a decrease in the potential for violence and provided an appropriate venue for addressing the groups’ concerns.
Our team also conducted shuttle diplomacy between Europe and the Middle East, reporting to world-renowned Islamic scholars in the Middle East on the successful media training of marginalized Muslim minority leaders in Europe, over an intensive 60-day period.
“There were leaders in Denmark who were exploiting divisions in the Muslim community. By leveraging the goodwill and influence of the Middle East scholars, we were able to minimize the influence of those who sought to fan the flames of protest and, as a result, the boycott was stopped in Saudi Arabia and never spread to other countries.”
- Mustafa Tameez, Managing Partner
The result:
Within 60 days the company overcame the boycott and re-entered the market with the confidence of their Middle Eastern customer base intact. Aggravated Muslim leaders identified a potent non-violent, political solution in light of the dangerous escalation of tensions. And more importantly learned the proper methods of advocating for enfranchisement. Ethnic minorities in Denmark were empowered and took important steps towards assimilation. Finally the political and economic losses were curtailed.