In the heart of Old Europe, a loyal ally is standing firm for principles essential to the survival of western civilization. So far America has done nothing of substance to help Denmark stand up in the face of intense pressure to impose de facto censorship and profusely apologize for violating Sharia law on its sovereign territory.

The longstanding aim of jihadists is the establishment of a Global Caliphate, a world in which Sharia law will apply to all of humanity, and in which those who refuse to convert to Islam will live as inferior dhimmis, paying special taxes and lacking full political rights.  Make no mistake: the attempt to bully Denmark into complying with Sharia prohibitions on publishing images of the Prophet Muhammad is part of a campaign to make Sharia the law of the world, in practice at first, codified later. The Global Jihad has been underway almost a millennium and a half, so a lengthy perspective is in order.

It starts with intimidation, pressure, and a growing understanding that one simply does not offend Muslim sensibilities, regardless of what the indigenous law of Denmark, Canada, or the United States says. As Osama bin Laden noted, people are naturally attracted to the 'strong horse.' Caving in to the norms of Sharia strengthens the cause of the Global Caliphate.

Demonstrations, boycotts and diplomatic breaks have taken their toll. 

Not all Muslim outrage was savage. Some adopted a hurt tone: 

"These caricatures have really hurt us a lot, because they directly insulted our Prophet, who everyone knows as a messenger of peace and harmony between people, whatever their religion, faith or background," the council said in a written statement.

Denmark has been doing what it can to salve Muslim outrage, while attempting to avoid direct rejection of its proud heritage of freedom.
Danish newspaper editor—in—chief Carsten Juste issued 

a statement late on Saturday apologising for the caricatures. The statement was sent to other Gulf states by Danish Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Hans Klingenberg.

"We are very sorry if we have offended Muslims with the drawings," said Mr Juste.

"This was never our intention.

"We express our sympathy and respect for those people, whom we unintentionally have offended."

But Independent Parliamentary Bloc president and parliament public utilities and environment affairs committee chairman Abdulaziz Al Moosa said that the apology was too little, too late.

"We want the Danish government to apologise, although the harm has been done and our religion has been insulted," he told the GDN yesterday.

The primary burden has fallen on the large Danish dairy products company Arla, which depends on export markets, especially in the Middle East, for a quarter of its sales. The company has been forced to 'seek dialogue' in the Middle East. Meanwhile, despite the closing of its dairy in Saudi Arabia, the company has so far assured its employees that they will not be laid off.

Arla does not have any operations in the United States, but it does license the production of Havarti cheese. If you stand with Denmark, go out and buy a piece of Havarti cheese.

Super Bowl Sunday is coming. Denmark produces many products which you can introduce to friends if you attend a Super Bowl Party. Perhaps Carlsberg Beer or Tuborg Beer, and some Danish crackers would make a good present to bring to your host. There are also many other possibilities.

Although not an object of a new Islamic boycott, for obvious reasons, Danish pork and ham products are readily available in the United States. Plumrose, Dak, and other brands are widely available, and the company even has in—sourced some production to the United States. A large percentage of the baby back ribs sold in the United States are from Denmark.

You can also find Danish products to buy here, here, here, here  and here. A causal look will demonstrate that Denmark is a country which produces very high quality products, so buying Danish will cause no sacrifice, and might well introduce you to goods which are better than those you customarily enjoy.

Although the EU has offered some degree of support and even though the Danish Prime Minister averred that private newspapers have the right to print what they wish and refused to apologize, the pressure and cost have had their effect.

The Blogosphere has been covering the story, notably Brussels Journal,  Judith Apter Klinghoffer, and Michelle Malkin . And our antique media are taking some notice.

On January 30th, we published an item urging readers to 'Buy Danish!'  Evidently, our piece reached the Danish mass media, because we have been inundated with emails of thanks from Danes — by far the largest volume of email ever received on any topic. Well into three digits.

The deep and sincere gratitude of the Danes is both touching and sobering. It seems as though Denmark is feeling very, very lonely, and perhaps unsure of American backing. The cartoon crisis is very real for the Danes.

Here are a few examples. Names are omitted because of the possibility of further pressure from the Islamic world, and all are unedited or corrected, to convey the flavor of non—native English.

Dear American Friend,
 
thank You so much for Your support of a small countrys right to govern itself..
 
You truly are a country of vision. When I heard about the "Buy Danish" campaign started in America I immediately thought "Good ole America, Always Protecting Freedom".
 
The islamists have taken the drawings completely out of context in their quest to condem the West.
 
The drawings were made because many publishers, writers, film—makers in Europe had impossed self—censorship. That means they were afraid to speak their mind about islam because they feared for their life in doing so.
 
We all remember that Theo Van Gogh was killed. The Dutchman who made a film criticizing the treatment of women under Islam and was stabbed to death on an Amsterdam street in November. Link  

Jyllands—Posten had an article about this subject and the drawings was a part of this article, which in no way is in conflict with any Danish laws. It's obviously in conflict with the sharia—laws in the arab world, but they fail to recognize that we have a secular society in which religion and government, the courts and the police are strictly separeted.
 
The arab world now think they can bully Denmark and Norway into submission. We might be small countries, but we have the right to exist and govern our selves. Denmark and Norway are well respected around the globe for Our foreign politics and Our involvement in human rights and womens rights.
 
I think I speak for most Danes when I say thank You for Your support and thank you for buying Our products. Your support will not be forgotten. 

+++++

Hello American Thinker.

I am a Danish citizen married to an American. I'm currently in Denmark.
I would just like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for supporting us on the issue of freedom of speech. I know it is an issue very close to the heart of all Americans and Danes alike. Freedom of speech is one of the most important and holiest of rights we have.

I would urge all Americans to buy more Danish products to show your support and counter act the Arab boycott of Danish products. i.e. You could take the money you would otherwise spend on Arab and Brittish product and channel them into Danish purchases insted (the Brits are passing laws to limit freedom of speech in the UK to protect muslim sentiments. Thus giving up rights many American soldiers lost their lives to give them during WWII)

Again, thank you a million times for your undieing support to freedom and liberty everywhere.

+++++

One emailer even took issue with our praise for Denmark's conduct during its Nazi Occupation in World War II. Danes are uncommonly honest and self—critical. We wrote:

"Remember that Denmark was the only Nazi—occuppied European country that came out of World War Two with its moral reputation intact. The Danes just didn't put up with Jews being sent to concentration camps. They smuggled them out to neutral Sweden."

The emailer repsonded:

Denmarks reputation was in no way intact after WW2. It's true, that Jews escaped to Sweden with help from civilians, and that could we be proud of. But we can't be proud of the fact, that several Jews who tried to flee from Nazigermany to Denmark in the late 30's actually were denied access at the Dnaish—German border and sent back.....and ended up in KZ—camps! The Danish government was scared of acting provocative to Hitler and his gang.
 
We should also be ashamed of the fact that the Danish governemt trained Danish soldiers for "Frikorps Danmark"*, a subdivision to Waffen SS that participated in the battle on the Eastern Front against the Soviet Union. We speak of some few thousand Danish soldiers here, but the fact that they were trained and armed by the Danish government did, that many Russians had difficulties wieving Denmark as allies after WW2.

Finally the Government, to please our German "visitors", re—imposed death penalty against our freedom fighters, that stood up, with submachine guns and hand grenades only against the well—equipped German occupation forces. All this for sparing the Danish society and the Danish people against the damages caused by the war. The typical Danish foreign policy when things are getting hot.......until modern days.  

All this happened from the first day of the occupation, that is, April 9th 1940 until August 29th 1943 when the Government broke up with Germany and resigned. An action that started civilian riots against German forces in the cities around the country.

This may all be true. But I long ago read that the King of Denmark appeared in public wearing a Star of David when the Germans demanded Danish Jews wear them.

Update: A reader tells me that the story is not true, and the Snopes.com website indicates he is correct.

Although the Danes did undertake heroic efforts to shelter their Jews and help them escape from the Nazis, there is no real—life example of the actions described by this legend. Danish citizens never wore the yellow badge, nor did King Christian ever threaten to don it himself. In fact, Danish Jews never wore the yellow badge either (except for the few who were finally deported to concentration camps), nor did German officials ever issue an order requiring Danish Jews to display it.Although the Danes did undertake heroic efforts to shelter their Jews and help them escape from the Nazis, there is no real—life example of the actions described by this legend. Danish citizens never wore the yellow badge, nor did King Christian ever threaten to don it himself. In fact, Danish Jews never wore the yellow badge either (except for the few who were finally deported to concentration camps), nor did German officials ever issue an order requiring Danish Jews to display it.

Even if the anecdote is untrue, the reality seems to have been that the Danish were among the most steadfast in their resistance to Nazi race dogmas, even though Danes qualified as fully Aryan under Nazi pseudo—science.

Denmark needs us. Use the power of your pocketbook to let the brave and principled Danes know you support them.

UPDATE: *A Danish reader who appears to be well—informed tells us that the Fricorps story is mostly urban myth. There were Danes who fought with the Nazis, but they were trained in Germany and did not fight.

The Danish Government never did such a thing. This corps of traitors was trained in Germany and wore German uniforms. It is however true that some military men who originally got their military training in Denmark joined the corps.

Thomas Lifson is the editor and publisher of The American Thinker.