Islam Conference Fizzles Published 15.05.06 13:30 By The Copenhagen Post A weekend conference with the goal of building a bridge between the Muslim world and the West was more of a one way street, according to a number of participants After being the focus of Muslim anger earlier this year, Copenhagen was again the centre of Muslim attention this weekend. This time, however, the mesage was one of improved understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. British television station The Islam Channel hoped to capitalise on the infamy brought upon the city after the publication of the Mohammed cartoons by holding the international conference 'Islamophobia: a dilemma in the West' as a way to create a dialogue and debunk myths. 'Fear of and prejudices about Islam have always been there, but we need to have the courage to talk about things,' said Mohamed Ali, president of the Islam Channel. Despite being billed as an international conference, and the largest of its kind since the row over the Mohammed cartoons exploded this winter, the majority of those participating were Muslim. Organisers had invited a broad spectrum of Danish politicians, members of the press and other public figures, but only a handful of ethnic Danes were to be found amongst the 900 people in attendance. 'We had hoped to see more Danes take part in the debate. We invited the prime minister to open the conference and all Danish ministers to participate. We invited political parties, even the Danish People's Party, the mayor of Copenhagen - and the Queen,' Ali said. Former Australian prime minister Bob Hawke was one of the conference's major draws. He said that dialogue could help to stamp out misunderstandings on both sides of the religious divide. 'Most Muslims are peace-loving people who want to live in a constructive dialogue with others. But it is the words and horrible acts of the extremists that capture our attention.' While western panel members such as Tøger Seidenfaden, editor-in-chief of Politiken newspaper, nodded in agreement with the call for dialogue, some Muslims on the floor were concerned that Muslims from the Middle East were stealing the show. 'This conference is spectacular, but I don't think it contains anything we can use in our daily lives,' said Aziz Fall, the president of an association of Senegalese Muslims in Denmark. 'There are millions of Muslims in Africa, but you don't see them represented here at the conference or in the debate.' Foreign conference participants said they were shocked to see the conditions Muslims in Denmark were forced to accept. 'I thought Denmark was a free and open country, but that's not so,' said Yvonne Ridley, a British woman who converted to Islam after being held hostage by the Taleban. Ridley, now the political editor for the Islam Channel, said Denmark's Muslims were made to feel like outsiders. 'Just the fact that Denmark doesn't have a single mosque built as a mosque - it doesn't even have a Muslim cemetary.' Ridley added that she and other Muslims were tired of being held responsible for terrorist acts committed in their religion's name. 'I don't demonise all Danes because of the Mohammed cartoons. And you shouldn't demonise all Muslims on account of al-Qaeda.'