A Danish publishing house has decided to withdraw a book offensive to Muslims after protests by Muslim leaders in the Scandinavian country.

"After scrutinizing the complaints, Malling Beck Co. decided to take "Os og Kristendom (Us and Christianity 5) off bookstores," the publishing house said in a statement obtained by IslamOnline.net.

Malling Beck Director Lars Tindholdt had initially defended the authors before reconsidering his position after the mass-circulation daily Politiken ran a report on the contents of the book on Monday, November 20.

The book was listed on the curricula of third-ninth grades under the Christianity subject.

It tackles Islam in a chapter entitled "terrorism." The first pages of the chapter reminds students of the grisly Beslan massacre in Russia, when armed Chechens took hundreds of students hostage.

The book associates Muslims with terrorism and also outline the terrorist 9/11 attacks with a profile of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.

The newspaper said the first thing Danish students learn about Islam and Muslims is all about horror and panic.

"It sends the message that Muslims are the root cause of terrorism in this world," it added.

Islam is Denmark's second largest religion after the Lutheran Protestant Church, which is actively followed by four-fifths of the country's population.

There are about 180,000 Muslims in Denmark, according to unofficial estimates.


Welcomed

Danish Muslim leaders were quick to welcome the decision of the publishing house.

"This is a very positive decision but we are still shocked how such a book found its way into school curricula," the Muslims in Dialogue group said in a statement.

Muslims had respond "positively" to the derogatory book, sending dozens of complaints to the publishing house.

They were also about to meet officials with the Ministry of Education for an explanation.

"I was really shocked when I knew about the book," Imam Abdel Wahid Pedersen told IOL.

"This book should not have found its way into the school curricula in Denmark."

Qassem Saed, the media officer of the Scandinavian Waqfs, said the book was too dangerous.

"It brainwashes students in such vulnerable ages," he said.

Danish Muslim leaders have drawn lessons from the first cartoon crisis, when best-selling Jyalland Posten commissioned and published 12 cartoons lampooning Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in December 2005.

They refused to be provoked by new cartoons mocking Prophet Muhammad aired by the state television last month.

The astute Muslim action won plaudits among politicians and activists.

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen immediately denounced the new set of cartoons.

The youth wings of parties from across the political spectrum in Denmark had also condemned the drawings.