Non-Market Environment Affecting Business-Arla Dairy Case Sequence of events In September, Flemming Rose, an editor for Jyllands-Posten, who was irate at the fact that no cartoonists were willing to draw a caricature of Muhammad, contacted 25 newspaper cartoonists and requested them to draw Muhammad as they saw him. A dozen responded with caricatures which were then published on September 30. One cartoon portrayed Muhammad with an explosive turban; another pictured him in heaven greeting suicide bombers. Flemming argued on the matter of principle of “Freedom of Expression” and the tradition of satire which exists in Denmark. Within a week Muslim organizations in Denmark and Middle East started protests and wrote letters to the newspaper and Denmark’s Culture Minister demanding apology. With no response to their plea these organizations send signed petitions to the Prime Minister Rasmussen and then arranged a meeting with ambassadors form 11 Arab countries. Rasmessen refused for a meeting and denied to apologize on behalf of the newspaper. He said that it was an expression from an independent journal and had no affiliation with the government or any other political party representing Denmark. They then decided to travel to Middle East and use the prevailing anti-American sentiment prevailing there to publicize this issue and gather support for their protests. In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, a plastic surgeon who doesn’t consider himself unduly conservative read about these cartoons and came up with the idea of boycott of all Danish products. He said “Danish papers are making fun of our Prophet, Boycott their products” Backlash Damage Control Following the controversy, many resurrective steps were taken to avert any further possible damage to Arla’s Middle East business. ...