A video showing members of the youth wing of an anti-immigrant party mocking the Prophet Muhammad has been removed from the Internet, a Danish artists group said Monday.
At the same time, the Danish Foreign Ministry warned its citizens about traveling to several Muslim countries because of the controversy surrounding the video, portions of which were aired by broadcaster TV2 last week.
Danish party regrets prophet mockery
Over the weekend, the footage drew criticism and condemnation from Muslim leaders in Egypt and Indonesia.
"This is not an example of something that is meant to provoke. This is an example to show how things are in Danish politics," artist Martin Rosengaard Knudsen told Danish public radio. The clip was removed from its Web site Monday.
In a message posted online, the group, called Defending Denmark, said it infiltrated the Danish People's Party Youth for 18 months "to document (their) extreme right wing associations."
"Generally speaking, there is a harsh note, a racist note. Not from all but from leading members," Rosengaard Knudsen told Danish radio. He could not immediately be reached for comment.
The young lawmakers could be seen in the video having a drawing contest during their summer camp. One woman presented a cartoon showing a camel with the head of Muhammad and beer cans for humps. A second drawing showed a bearded man wearing a turban next to a plus sign and a bomb that equals a nuclear mushroom cloud.
In the video, people appeared to have been drinking alcohol.
On Monday, the Foreign Ministry in Copenhagen cautioned against travel to Gaza, the West Bank, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey.
In the past two days, "several Arabic media have published critical reports about the airing of video from the Muhammad competition," the Ministry said.
"Against that background, we urge Danes to use caution as the matter could possibly lead to negative reactions. The atmosphere and reactions can vary dependent on time and place. Danes should be aware of the local mood," the ministry said.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen condemned the youth wing, saying "their tasteless behavior does in no way represent the way the Danish people or young Danish people view Muslims or Islam."
