Iran lock horns over issue of posting Prophet Muhammad PBUH cartoon on social media
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TEHRAN - An important Danish-Iranian agreement regarding the return of rejected asylum-seekers has stalled after Danish Immigration Minister, Inger Støjberg, posted a Prophet Muhammad (PBHU) cartoon on social media last year, Danish Radio reported, citing an internal document from the ministry.
One year later, Støjberg is yet to visit Tehran, and Denmark still hasn't landed an agreement on the failed asylum-seekers from Iran.
"As part of the asylum-seeker dialogue with Iran, a visit by the immigration minister to Tehran was scheduled for November 2017. The visit was postponed as the Iranians expressed displeasure with the minister's iPad desktop", Støjberg was quoted by Danish Radio as saying during a hearing.
The government, the right-wing Danish People's Party and the opposition Social Democratic party all agree that the agreement is important. At the Departure Centre in Kærshovedgård, rejected asylum seekers from Iran constitute a clear majority. Last year, 110 of its almost 200 residents were from Iran.
Social Democrats foreign spokesman Mattias Tesfaye refused to comment on Inger Støjberg's choice of background on her iPad but called it a "shame" that the agreement still isn't in place. He also called on the government to push Iran to reach the deal he called a "boon" for Denmark.
Even the Danish People's Party, a long-time staunch defender of the 2005 drawings that invoked what in Denmark is referred to as "Muhammad (PBUH) crisis", admitted that Støjberg should have considered the consequences of her actions. - Sputnik
