COPENHAGEN, Denmark: Europe’s second-largest dairy company Arla has placed advertisements in Middle Eastern newspapers to try to stop a boycott of Danish produce in Muslim countries as huge protest rallies were held in Iraq to denounce publications of cartoons of Holy Prophet Muhammad (p) in Danish and Norwegian publications.

The Danish firm is responding to anger about the series of blasphemous caricatures. A spokesman said Arla was facing consumer pressure to dissociate itself from the cartoons.

In a series of caricatures, published Sept. 30 in the Danish Jyllands-Posten daily that angered Muslims around the world, the prophet Muhammad (p) was shown wearing a turban shaped as a bomb with a burning fuse.

Ten Muslim ambassadors wrote a joint letter to Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen asking him to take a stance on the issue, which he refused to do. He said Denmark had a free and independent press and refused to intervene.

According to BBC there are now fears that the incident could affect Danish businesses.

The Confederation of Danish Industries has now appealed to Jyllands-Posten to print an apology for having commissioned the drawings.

Meanwhile, Iraqi demonstrators called for an investigation into the Danish and Norwegian publications carrying offensive cartoons.