TheJyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons were first published byJyllands-Posten in late September 2005; approximately two weeks later, nearly 3,500 people demonstrated peacefully inCopenhagen. In November, several European newspapers re-published the images, triggering more protests.
Labour strikes began inPakistan the following month, and several organizations criticized the Danish government. More protests occurred in January 2006, and later that month aboycott ofDanish goods began. Comedian Omar Marzouk ridicules Muhammad as he defends freedom of speech. Several countries withdrew their ambassadors to Denmark, and widespread protests, some of them violent, began. The protests continued in February. InDamascus,Syria, both the Norwegianembassy and a building containing the Danish, Swedish, andChilean embassies were stormed and set on fire by protesters. InBeirut, thousands of people protested on the streets, and the Danish General Consulate was stormed and set on fire. As of February 2006, at least 139 people have died primarily during riots stemming from protests, with higher estimates being close to 250.[1][2][3][4] On 1 January 2010, a man was shot whilst attempting to killKurt Westergaard, one of the original cartoonists.
Jyllands-Posten denied an unsolicited submission that caricatured theresurrection of Jesus, with the reason, that they were not funny, and would "offend some readers, not much but some".[5]
Flemming Rose, the cultural editor ofJyllands-Posten, commissions twelve cartoonists to draw cartoons ofIslamicprophetMuhammad. This based upon a motivation explained as stemming from difficulties that Danish writerKåre Bluitgen had trouble finding artists to illustrate hischildren's book about Muhammad[citation needed]. Artists in Denmark have been reluctant to provide these images due to a fear of assassinations by Islamists as journalist Troels Pedersen wrote in an article for the Danish news agency Ritzaus Bureau.
Thecartoons are printed in the Danish dailynewspaper,Jyllands-Posten, accompanied by an editorial text in Danish stating that Muslims are like any other and will have to put up with insults, mockery, and ridicule.
Egyptian newspaperEl Fagr publishes six of the cartoons during Ramadan along with an article strongly denouncing them. The publication of the images does not provoke any known protests from either Egyptian religious authorities nor the Egyptian government.[8][9]
Ambassadors from ten Muslim countries request a meeting with thePrime Minister of Denmark,Anders Fogh Rasmussen, to ask him to distance himself from the cartoons inJyllands-Posten as well as various other allegedly derogatory comments about Islam in the Danish media. The Prime Minister refuses to meet the ambassadors, on the grounds that he cannot infringe on thefreedom of the press.[6]
A number of Muslim organizations file a complaint with the Danish police claiming thatJyllands-Posten had committed an offence under section 140 and 266b of theDanish Criminal Code.[10]
TheUnited Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance request the Permanent Danish Mission to the UN to deliver their observations of the case[14]
APakistanipolitical party,Jamaat-e-Islami apparently offers a roughly $10,000 reward to anyone who kills one of the cartoonists.[7] It was later discovered that this was a considerable exaggeration, based on a small note in a local newspaper, citing Jamaat-e-Islami as promising a reward up to a millionrupees for the deaths of the cartoonist. Jamaat-e-Islami claims to be wrongly cited, having merely suggested that the Pakistani governmentcould promise such a reward. On its way through the Danish ambassador to the Danish media, this fact is exaggerated as involving multiple papers and flyers with the reward.[15]
The first delegation of five Danish Imams, headed byAbu Bashar of The Community of Islam, landed inEgypt on 3 December 2005 and returned 11 December 2005. Among the people the group met on their visit to Egypt were: The General Secretary of theArab LeagueAmr Moussa, the EgyptianGrand MuftiAli Gomaa, the grand imam ofAl-Azhar universityMuhammad Sayyid Tantawi andMuhammad Shaaban, an advisor to the Egyptian Foreign Minister. This meeting was arranged by Egypt's ambassador to Denmark, Mona Omar.
At a 6 December 2005 summit of theOIC, with many heads of state in attendance, the dossier was handed around by the Egyptian foreign ministerAhmed Abul-Gheit on the sidelines first,[16] but eventually an official communiqué was issued.[17]
Twenty-two former Danish ambassadors criticize the Prime Minister of Denmark for not meeting with the eleven ambassadors in October.
TheCouncil of Europe criticises the Danish government for invoking the "freedom of the press" in its refusal to take action against the "insulting" cartoons.[21]
ThePrime Minister of Denmark makes his yearly New Year's speech, where he says: "I condemn any expression, action or indication that attempts to demonise groups of people ..."[22]
The Regional PublicProsecutor inViborg decides to discontinue the investigation of whether Jyllandsposten had committed an offence under section 140 (publicly ridiculing or insulting dogmas of worship of any lawfully existing religious community in Denmark) and 266b (dissemination of statements or other information by which a group of people are threatened, insulted or degraded on account of e.g. their religion) of theDanish penalty law because there was not a reasonable suspicion that a criminal offence indictable by the state had been committed and "the right tofreedom of speech must be exercised". The original claim was filed on 27 October 2005.[10]
Saudi Arabia recalls its ambassador from Denmark, and Saudi Arabian consumers begin to boycott Danish products. Consumers inKuwait and in some of the other Middle Eastern countries soon follow.[6][25]
TheNorwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sends a letter to their ambassadors in the Middle East stating that one of the pillars of Norwegian society is freedom of speech, but they expressed regret thatMagazinet did not respect Muslims' beliefs.[26]
A Danish ambassador in Saudi Arabia is interviewed by the AmericanAssociated Press Television News (AP-TV) where he criticisesJyllands-Posten's lack of judgement and knowledge of Islam.
The Danish government announces that Denmark's ambassador to Saudi Arabia only expressed his own opinion in a 28 January interview with AP-TV. The Danish People's Party,Dansk Folkeparti, demands he be reprimanded.
The Danish ambassador inJordan is summoned for a hearing.
ThePresident of AfghanistanHamid Karzai calls the printing of the cartoons a mistake, and hopes that this will lead to the media being more responsible and respectful in the future.
A poll from Epinion forDanmarks Radio, the national broadcasting company of Denmark, showed that of 579 Danes asked, 21% believe that the Prime Minister of Denmark should apologise to the Muslims, with 52% citing that would not be political interference with the freedom of press, while 44% thought the Prime Minister should try harder to resolve the controversy. 38% of those asked believed thatJyllands-Posten should apologise, and while 58% did feel that while it was the right ofJyllands-Posten to publish the cartoons, they could understand the Muslim criticism.[27]
Jyllands-Posten sends out an apology in both Danish andArabic. Apologising, not for the printing of the cartoons, but for hurting the feelings of Islamic society.
The Mexican newspaperLa Crónica reprints the Danish cartoons.[28]
Armed Palestinians fromFatah take over anEU office as a protest against the cartoons.[29]
ThePrime Minister of Denmark says that he personally distances himself from the cartoons, but reiterates that the government cannot intervene in what the media writes.[30]
TheEuropean Union backs Denmark, saying that any retaliatory boycott of Danish goods would violate world trade rules.
The Danish Red Cross says that it will evacuate some workers in Yemen and the Gaza Strip after receiving threats.[31]
Jyllands-Posten sends out a second open letter, this time in Arabic, Danish, and English, trying to clear up several misunderstandings, and once again apologising for hurting the feelings of the Islamic society.
An Iraqi militant Islamic organisation, theMujahideen Army, calls for terror strikes against Danish and Norwegian targets.
Gunmen fromal-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades storm theEuropean Union's office inGaza and threaten to kidnap the workers unless they receive an official apology for the cartoons from the EU.
Following a live televised interview onal Jazeera, it is reported that the "apology for any offence caused" made at the opening of the interview by Flemming Rose,Jyllands-Posten's cultural editor, was not translated into Arabic.[32]
The Danish Muslim Association is satisfied with yesterday's apologies fromJyllands-Posten and the Prime Minister, and say they now will help improve the situation. They claim to be deeply sorry and surprised the case got this far.[33][34]
A bomb threat againstJyllands-Posten leads to evacuation of two offices inAarhus andCopenhagen.[35]
The foreign ministers of seventeen Islamic nations renew demands for the Danish government to punish the authors of the cartoons and to "ensure that it doesn't happen again."[36]
ThePrime Minister of Denmark,Anders Fogh Rasmussen, holds apress conference in both Danish and English in which he repeats that he urges Danes not to take any action that could worsen the situation. He urges Muslims in Denmark to take actions that can improve the situation. He also repeats thatfreedom of speech is a vital part of the Danish society and that the Danish government is not in a position to have any influence on what the press is printing. He states that he wants to come back to a situation of dialogue, based on the friendship that has existed for a long time between Denmark and the Muslim world.[37] The prime minister is asked by the TV broadcasterAl Jazeera to appear in a program, but has not yet decided whether he will accept.
TheNational Assembly of Bahrain demands an apology from Denmark's head of state,Queen Margrethe II, as well as from the government. If the demands are not met, they will urge an official boycott of Danish goods and the cutting off of oil exports of 159,000 barrels per day (25,300 m3/d), in association with other GCC members.
Hamas leader Adnan Asfour demands that Denmark punish the twelve artists andJyllands-Posten.[38]
Russian presidentVladimir Putin indicates in a speech in theKremlin that the Danish political authorities are using the theme of freedom of expression to protect those who have insulted the Muslims.
TheIcelandic newspaperDV publishes six of the twelve cartoons.
The German newspaperdie tageszeitung publishes two of the cartoons.
al Jazeera broadcasts a speech from Danish-based leader of theMuslim Brotherhood Muhammed Fouad al-Barazi, in which he tearfully describes Danish plans to burn the Quran, leading to worldwide outrage.[40]
The French newspaperFrance Soir publishes the cartoons, adding one of their own. Managing director Jacques Lefranc is fired later the same day by ownerRaymond Lakah, a French-Egyptian binational andRoman Catholic (the chief editor, Serge Faubert, is not fired).[41] The French Government dissociates itself from the initiative.[42]
Jyllands-Posten's headquarters as well as its office in Copenhagen is again evacuated after a bomb threat.[45]
An influential Muslim organization inMalaysia, the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia, calls on the Malaysian government to protest the cartoons with the Danish government.[46]
A spokesman from theIndonesian Foreign Ministry condemns the cartoons, saying that freedom of expression should not be used as a pretext to insult a religion.[47]
Boycott of Danish goods is instituted byOmani retail chains.
TheUruguayan newspaperTerra prints all 12 cartoons.[54]
The Portuguese newspaperPúblico publishes one of the cartoons - the most heated one - Muhammad with a bomb on his head.
TheArgentine newspaperPágina/12 publishes the cartoon featuring Muhammad with a bomb on his head.[55]
The director of the Sakharov Museum in Moscow,Yuri Samodurov says in the 25th Hour TV Program, that the museum will do an entire exhibition about the cartoons. Furthermore, he wants to illustrate the new Russian edition ofSalman Rushdie'sSatanic Verses with the original Danish cartoons.[56]
Mullah Krekar, alleged leader ofAnsar al-Islam and living in Norway, calls the cartoons a "declaration of war" and says that "[we] Muslims are ready for this".[57]
"Fleeting glimpses" of some of the cartoons are shown in British television news programmes on theBBC,ITV andChannel 4.[58] On its flagship current affairs programmeNewsnight, theBBC recreates portions of the cartoons but with the image of Muhammad edited out of the scenes.
In a joint statement, theRoman Catholicbishops of the fiveNordic countries deplore the publication of the cartoons."Again and again, in our Nordic area, it seems that certain opinion makers feel that they are wholly free to say what they wish without any respect for the understanding and beliefs of other people (..) Our sympathies go out to our Muslim sisters and brothers".[59]
Gunmen from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades storm the European Union's office in Gaza for the second time in a week and kidnap a German national. He is later released unharmed.[60]
Palestinian gunmen shut down the EU headquarters in Gaza, in protest of theJyllands-Posten cartoons. According toCNN, "Masked members of the militant groupsPalestinian Islamic Jihad and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinians' former ruling party,Fatah, fired bullets into the air, and a man read the group's demands....The gunmen left a notice on the EU office's door that the building would remain closed until Europeans apologize to Muslims, many of whom consider the cartoons offensive."[61]
BritishIslamist groupAl Ghurabaa publishes an article entitledKill those who insult the Prophet Muhammad, justifying such action using theQur'an andHadith, and applying its argument primarily toJyllands-Posten,Magazinet and to the Danish and Norwegian governments.[62]
Protesters inRabat,Morocco stage asit-in before the Parliament in response to the cartoons. On the same day, delivery of the Wednesday issue of the 'France-Soir' and Friday issue of the 'Liberation' daily newspapers was barred by the Moroccan government.[63]
Danish companyArla Foods reports millions in losses from boycotts.
British National Party publishes cartoons at their web page[64][65]
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Shiite militant groupHizbullah, says "If there had been a Muslim to carry out Imam Khomeini's fatwa against the renegade Salman Rushdie, this rabble who insult our Prophet Muhammad in Denmark, Norway and France would not have dared to do so".[66]
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen meets with several Muslim ambassadors in Copenhagen. Egyptian ambassador responds that Rasmussen's response is inadequate and that Denmark should try harder to 'appease the whole Muslim world'.
At the Danish embassy inJakarta,Indonesia anangry mob demands access to the embassy, and upset lamps and furniture in the lobby in the process.[67] The ambassador talks to the leaders of the demonstration, and the group disperses.
The Belgian newspaperDe Standaard publishes the cartoons. Another Belgian newspaper,Het Volk, prints cartoons of Muhammad byFlemish cartoonists and quotes Etienne Vermeersch as saying Belgian papers should publish such caricatures every week "so that Muslims can get used to the idea."
The South Korean newspaperOhMyNews prints the cartoons.[68]
The Times of India prints the 12 cartoons. Muslims start burning copies of the paper.[70]
British Foreign SecretaryJack Straw praises the British media for not publishing the cartoons and condemns the decision of the European newspapers who brought the cartoons as "disrespectful".[71]
TheBelgian Muslim Executive, of which some former members have been linked to terrorism, strongly condemns the cartoons as "an unacceptable attack on Islam".
Islamist demonstration outside Danish Embassy in London. Hundreds of Muslims march from theLondon Central Mosque to the heavily protected Danish embassy. Chants include "7/7 is on its way" and placard slogans include "Slay [also "butcher", "massacre" and "behead"] those who insult Islam", "Free speech go to hell", "Europe is the cancer and Islam is the cure", "Exterminate those who slander Islam", "Europe you will pay. Your9/11 is on its way!!" and "Be prepared for thereal holocaust!"[74]
The controversial Danish imamAhmad Abu Laban and the editor of culture ofJyllands-Posten meet on theBBC programHARDtalk.[75]
AUS Department of State spokesman stated "We all fully recognize and respect freedom of the press and expression but it must be coupled with press responsibility. Inciting religious or ethnic hatreds in this manner is not acceptable."
Newly electedHamas organizes protests and demonstrations in thePalestinian territories. Demonstrations are significantly more violent than in previous days.
TheSenate of Pakistan adopted a unanimous resolution condemning the Danish newspaper for publishing blasphemous and derogatory cartoons.[76]
Saudi cleric Sheikh Badr bin Nader al-Mashar refers, in an audio message posted online, to the cartoon furore as "part of the war waged by the decadent West against the triumphant Islam" and issues a call "to the billion Muslims: where are your arms? Your enemies have trampled on the prophet. Rise up."[77]
Judge Mohammed Jajbhay pre-emptively bans the publication of the cartoons in South Africa following a request for an urgent interdict by the MuslimJamiat-ul Ulama Transvaal organization. This move is widely criticized by opposition political parties and journalist organizations.[79]
Islamic retailer Ziyad Brothers suspends business with Arla Foods.
Belgian newspaperLa Libre Belgique prints a game in which people have to connect the dots in order to find the image of Muhammad
Colonel Gintaras Ažubalis, the Commander of the Lithuania-led Ghor Provincial Reconstruction Team, Afghanistan, took decision that Danish mobile communications and surveillance group will not implement any tasks during the period 3 February-8, according to BNS. Also the number of operations was diminished by Danish battalion in Iraq peacekeeping mission where near 50 Lithuanians served.[80]
Islamist demonstration outside Danish Embassy in London continues with organisation fromHizb ut-Tahrir. Building student Omar Khayam, 22, from Bedford, was photographed wearing a garment resembling a7 July 2005 London bombings type suicide bomber's jacket outside the embassy. A speaker calls on "the governments of the Muslim world to completely sever all contact with European governments" until they had "controlled the media". Police later say that two men were arrested near the embassy during the protest. "They were arrested to prevent a breach of the peace, after a search by officers found leaflets including cartoons of the prophet Muhammad," aMetropolitan Police Service spokeswoman said.[82]
The building which houses theChilean, Swedish, and Danish embassies inDamascus,Syria, is set on fire after being stormed by angry mob. The Swedish and Chilean embassies were very badly damaged,[83] but the Danish embassy, which is located on the 3rd floor, was only partially damaged. As a response to this incident, the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a warning urging Danish citizens in Syria to leave the country immediately. The Danish ambassador had asked the Syrian government for proper protection of the embassy before the attack. Danish government does not rule out severing diplomatic ties with Syria.
The Norwegian embassy in Damascus is attacked and set on fire. TheNorwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs,Jonas Gahr Støre, advises all Norwegians to leave Syria. Støre told the media that he sees the situation as a very serious diplomatic crisis and threatens to sever the diplomatic ties with Syria.[84]
Several demonstrations inHillerød, Denmark collide and become violent.[85] One demonstration was arranged by a small nationalistic group and included at least oneneo-Nazi. Other groups represented were Muslims, Danish anti-racists, and a group well known to the police for becoming violent (namedautonome). 162 people were arrested. Around 110 were demonstrating against the nationalistic group and the rest were mostly Muslims also demonstrating against the nationalistic group.
TheHoly See says the right to freedom of expression does not imply the right to offend religious beliefs,[86] but also that a government should not be held responsible for actions of a newspaper.
UN Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan calls for calm and urges Muslims to accept an apology from the Danish paper that first published the cartoons.
A new network of Danish Muslims called Moderate Muslims (later renamedDemocratic Muslims in Denmark) is founded as a response to the cartoon controversy, with the Danish Muslim member of parliamentNaser Khader as one of the founding members. This new network will represent Muslims that focus on freedom of speech, democracy, and positive and peaceful relations between Muslims and non-Muslims.[87]
An op-ed inThe Wall Street Journal reported that "Danish Muslims ... added two particularly inflammatory drawings that had never been published by the paper -- one involved a pig's nose and the other an indecent act with a dog."[88] The pictures are in theAkkari-Laban dossier.
The US blames Syria for not sufficiently protecting the embassies in Damascus. TheWhite House stated: "We stand in solidarity with Denmark and our European allies in opposition to the outrageous acts in Syria today."[89]
The president ofIran,Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, orders to cancel contracts with all countries where media have published the cartoons.[90]
Jyllands-Posten is revealed to be the winner of the annual "Victor prize" given by the newspaperEkstra Bladet, for defending the freedom of press under heavy pressure.
The German center of culture in theGaza Strip was ravaged by demonstrators.[91]
The Danish newspaperPolitiken reveals thatJyllands-Posten in 2003, denied an unsolicited submission that caricatured theresurrection of Jesus, with the reason, that it would lead to an outcry.[5]
The UK'sShadowHome SecretaryDavid Davis says to theSunday Telegraph that some of the placards held at the Muslim protest in London on 3 February amounted to "incitement to murder" and protesters should be dealt with firmly by police.[92]
Iran recalls its ambassador from Denmark and bans journalists from its country.[93]
The Danishconsulate inBeirut,Lebanon is set ablaze during a demonstration.[94] The police arrest many people, almost half of them are from Syria.[95]
Demonstrators inLebanon from a demonstration at the Danish consulate cause property damage inChristian neighborhoods ofBeirut.[96]
TheSyrian newspaperAl-Thawra, which is owned by the state, claims that the Danish government is responsible for having the embassy burned down.[97]
TheIraqi Ministry of Transportation freezes contracts with Denmark and Norway.
InBrussels, Belgium, thousands of Muslims spontaneously gather and hold a peaceful protest against the cartoons.[98]
TheLebanese Interior Minister,Hassan Sabeh, announces his resignation in reaction to the torching of the Danishconsulate inBeirut, and to the following criticism.[99]
A peaceful demonstration is arranged for peace, dialogue, and understanding inCopenhagen. Almost 3000 Muslims and non-Muslims participate.[100]
The US ambassador to Denmark,James P. Cain, says he is pleased major American newspapers have not re-printed the cartoons.[citation needed]
The Islamic Army, a militantIraqi group with ties toal-Qaeda, says Danish citizens, and citizens of other countries who have published the cartoons, should be captured and killed.
Charges against the twoJordanian editors that published the cartoon are dropped.[102]
500 Muslims protest peacefully against the cartoons inVienna, Austria.
At a press conference, the Danish Foreign Minister says that this is no longer about Denmark and the twelve cartoons and it is no longer a crisis between Denmark and Arab Muslim countries. Instead, it is a crisis for Western-Arab cooperation, and has to be solved using international cooperation.
TheConference of European Rabbis expresses its concern at the publication of the cartoons, which "humiliate and disparage the feelings of Muslims", comparing them to anti-Semitic caricatures.[103]
A protest of approximately 5,000 people is planned inJakarta,Indonesia at the Danish embassy.[107]
Approximately 1,000protesters march for three hours in Paris, France in response to the publication of the cartoons in several European newspapers.French Prime MinisterDominique de Villepin condemned the violence that had occurred internationally in response to the cartoons, but called for tolerance and respect toward other faiths.[108]
Three dead atAfghan demonstration against the cartoons.[109]
Danish soldiers inIraq are shot at while trying to givefirst aid to 10-15 Iraqi children who were hit by a truck in a traffic accident. The Danish soldiers manage to save some of the children and bring them to a hospital. The Danish army says that this may be a reaction to the cartoons.
Ahmed Akkari, spokesman for 29 Muslim organisations in Denmark, offers to go on Arab television withPrime Minister of DenmarkAnders Fogh Rasmussen in order to explain why it is not the Danish Prime Minister or the Danish Queen who should provide apologies.[111]
Demonstrators inIndonesia damage the Danish consulate and try to damage the US consulate. At the American consulate, they clash with police, and warning shots are fired.
The government of Lebanon apologizes to Denmark for not having protected the consulate well enough.[113]
The embassy of Austria inTehran,Iran, is attacked by fire-bombs. The firebombs do not catch fire, and shortly afterwards the security forces protect the embassy.[114] Austria is the current chairman of theEuropean Union.
Iran stops all trade with Denmark, thereby violating their agreements with theEU.[117]
The Danish embassy inIndonesia shuts down in order to secure the employees.
The Danish embassy inIran is attacked. About 20 firebombs are thrown at the building, but no damage seems to have been done.
The American ambassador in Denmark repeats in several media that USA supports Denmark and is 100% behind Denmark. He also states that USA is fully behind freedom of speech and would never intervene against media who publishes the cartoons.[118]
TheGrand Mufti of Syria is sorry that the relationship with Denmark has deteriorated, but hopes to restore it as soon as possible. He says that 10,000 people were at the demonstration at the Danish Embassy, but only 10-15 were responsible for burning it down. He says that the Syrian population will rebuild the embassy, even nicer than it was before. It would be a gift to the Danish population. When TV 2 visits him, he gives them a gold plate with citations from the Qur'an as a gift to the Danish people. Syria has officially apologized for not protecting the embassy well enough.[119]
TheDanish Refugee Council, the largest humanitarian aid organisation inChechnya and supplier of food for 250,000 people in Chechnya andDagestan, is asked by the government of Chechnya to leave the country, citing the current controversy. The organisation also has problems with delivering humanitarian aid in Sudan.
InSomalia, a teenage boy dies after protesters attack police.[122]
US vice secretary of foreign affairs, Daniel Fried, states that Denmark has nothing to excuse.
A man in Aarhus, Denmark files charges againstJyllands-Posten both for blasphemizing and, in doing so, harming the country.[123]
Terry Davis, secretary general of theCouncil of Europe, says that the publication of the cartoons crossed an ethical line even if it still was legal.[124]
Danish illustrator Christoffer Zieler reports that in April 2003 he submitted a series of satirical cartoons about theresurrection ofChrist toJyllands-Posten, but they were turned down by the editor, who said "I don't thinkJyllands-Posten's readers will enjoy the drawings. As a matter of fact, I think that they will provoke an outcry. Therefore, I will not use them." The cartoons were not solicited by the newspaper.[3]
Approximately 1,000protesters marched in Paris, France in response to the publication of the cartoons in several European newspapers.[108]
Thousands of protesters clash with police andNATO peacekeepers inAfghanistan.[126]
Four demonstrators are killed in an attack on a Norwegian-led military base inMaymana, capital of theFaryab province in western Afghanistan. At least 20 others, among them fiveNorwegian soldiers, are injured by grenade splinters.[127]
Protest take place inHelsinki, Finland in front of the Danish embassy, around 200 people attend.[129]
Ali Khamenei, the spiritual leader ofIran, expresses the hypocrisy of Western media in publishing these cartoons during an address, to Iranian air force personnel.[130]
Nestlé publishes posters denouncing the rumor that any of its products are Danish in origin.[131]
The defacement of Danish websites by pro-Muslimhackers reaches 578 within 1 week.[132]
After an investigation Danish police come to the conclusion that a story concerning the attack on a hot-dog stand steward by two Turks on 3 February was a fake story.[135]
A student newspaper editor is suspended for publishing an image of Muhammad.Cardiff University's student union paperGair Rhydd is the first UK publication to use the image which has caused global protests, and has recalled 8,000 of its copies.[136]
Approximately 100 demonstrators attack the Norwegian embassy in Tehran, Iran throwing stones and firebombs.[137]
A couple of Danish Muslim organisations arrange a peaceful demonstration (300 participants) inAarhus with the motto "In favor of Denmark", in an attempt to make the Muslim world recognize, that Denmark should not be punished.[138]
The editorial staff of the alternative weeklyNew York Press walk out en masse, after the paper's publishers backed down from printing the Danish cartoons.[139]
The Yemeni government canceled the publishing license of two Yemeni private newspapers,Yemen Observer andAl-Hourriah(freedom), after they published the Danish illustrations depicting Muhammad.[140]
In LithuaniaRespublika prints 4 (or 1 and 9 on 6 February 2006 and 8 February 2006) of the controversial cartoons.
French weekly newspaper,Charlie Hebdo, publishes the twelve cartoons plus a new cartoon representing Muhammad by French cartoonistCabu. French Muslim organisations, including the French Council of Muslim Faith (CFCM) and the Grand Mosques of Paris andLyon had unsuccessfully suedCharlie Hebdo the day before to avoid this publication.[141]
Former Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs,Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, states that he thinks that the chief editorCarsten Juste ofJyllands-Posten should quit. Uffe Ellemann-Jensen is a member of the same political partyVenstre, to which the prime minister also belongs, but is no longer active in politics.[142]
The organisationModerate Muslims is to begin a campaign in Arab countries in favor of Denmark. They will use SMS and newspaper advertisements, paid for by their Muslim members only.[143]
The picture allegedly of Muhammad dressed up as a pig is revealed to be a photo of the "pig-squealing" champion Jacques Barrot in France.[144][145]
Muslims demonstrators burn Danish, Norwegian andCroatian flags inSarajevo, the capital ofBosnia-Herzegovina. This follows the publication of the controversial cartoons in a Croatian weekly on 6 February.[146] The organizer later apologized for the burning flags, stating there were only three men who on their own burned paper flags.
Veja, Brazil's largest magazine in terms of circulation, publishes three of the original cartoons in both their print edition and on their website.[147]
Administration at theUniversity of Prince Edward Island, Canada, ordered a halt to the on-campus distribution of the student newspaperThe Cadre after the cartoons were re-printed in the newspaper. Campus authorities also attempted to seize all 2,000 copies of the edition containing the cartoons.[149]
Professor Peter March atSaint Mary's University, Canada, is directed by administration there to remove copies of the cartoons that he posted on his office door. The professor was later the subject of an on-campus student march, and claimed to have received anonymous messages stating that his actions may have repercussions for Canadians being held hostage in Iraq.[150]
On 8 FebruaryFlemming Rose the cultural editor forJyllands-Posten toldCNN: "My newspaper is trying to establish a contact with that Iranian newspaper [Hamshahri], and we would run the cartoons the same day as they publish them". Later that day the paper's editor-in-chief said thatJyllands-posten under no circumstances would publish the Holocaust cartoons.
TheEgyptian newspaperEl Fagr removes from its website thefront page image of its 17 October 2005 edition which included six of the cartoons.
The Danish tabloidB.T. reports that Bjarne Sørensen, the Danish ambassador toEgypt, has confirmed reports that the cartoons were published in the Egyptian newspaperEl Fagr on 17 October 2005.[151]
After the Japanese government urged newspapers not to print the controversial cartoons, several newspapers do print them, saying that the freedom of speech is absolute and the government should not intervene. The Japanese government does not react to the printing of these cartoons.[154]
TheDaily Illini, the official student newspaper of the University of Illinois, reprints 6 of the cartoons. The paper's top editor responsible for the decision is soon dismissed as the school's administration condemns the action.
The Swedish newspaperDagens Nyheter reports that, although the foreign office andSÄPO gotSverigedemokraterna's web site shut down after publishing Muhammad caricatures, they are still available from their youth organisation.[155]
Demonstrations with up to 700.000 participants continue to be held across the Muslim world.[156][157]
The editor of the Norwegian Christian newspaperMagazinet,Vebjørn Selbekk, apologizes for the reactions and consequences of the publication of the cartoons. The Norwegian Muslim community accepted his apology and considered the issue closed.
At a demonstration inNairobi,Kenya, one demonstrator dies in a stampede.[159]
According toReuters, "Kenyan police opened fire at hundreds of people [...], wounding at least one.".
Paris, 11 February 2006, anti-caricature protest banners. The sign reads: "After having forbade theveil, after raping our Sisters, after attacking our Brothers, you insult the Prophet (peace be upon him). Stop the provocation.
Naser Khader Muslim member of Danish parliament and one of the founding members ofModerate Muslims has asked the Minister of Religion in Denmark to investigateAhmad Abu Laban's words in the Friday prayer in the mosque at Dortheavej in Copenhagen where Abu Laban describedAyaan Hirsi Ali as a rat in a hole.
EuroNews shows one of the cartoons in a newstrailer, which was originally from a TV programme from Switzerland.
EU foreign policy chiefJavier Solana meets with theOrganisation of the Islamic Conference's (OIC) Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu to defuse the crisis. Ihsanoglu called upon the EU Parliament to pass legislation to combatIslamophobia: "People in the Muslim world are starting to feel this is a new9/11 against them".[6]
A leading Iranian newspaper launches a faux competition asking people to submit cartoons about theHolocaust. The Hamshahri daily says the competition is to test the boundaries of free speech for Westerners. The move is seen as retaliation for the publication in a Danish paper of images satirising Muhammad.[7]
Australian cartoonist,Michael Leunig, becomes the victim of a hoax involving the cartoon competition Iranian newspaper, Hamshahri.[166]
About 25 Muslim graves are desecrated in Denmark.[167]
"Legally, the Government of every State party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is bound by three articles dealing with the relationship between freedom of religion and freedom of opinion and expression, namely article 18, which protects freedom of religion, subject to such limitations as are necessary to protect public safety and order or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others (art. 18, para. 3); article 19, which protects freedom of expression and opinion, subject to certain restrictions such as "respect of the rights or reputations of others" (art. 19, para. 3 (a)); and article 20, which states that any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law."
Finland's National Bureau of Investigation decides to conduct a preliminary investigation into the matter of the nationalistSuomen Sisu and others publishing the cartoons online. Finnishpenal code has the same kind of section on the sanctity of religion as does Danish law.[171]
InPakistan, over 1,000 rioters vandalize many western business establishments and torched the provincial assembly building. At least two people are killed.
The Italian ministerRoberto Calderoli wears a T-shirt emblazoned with cartoons ofMuhammad. Calderoli (a member ofLega Nord), stated: "I have had T-shirts made with the cartoons that have upset Islam and I will start wearing them today. We have to put an end to this story that we can talk to these people. They only want to humiliate people. Full stop. And what are we becoming? The civilization of melted butter?".[172]
TheEuropean Parliament accepts a resolution which condemns all violence related to the cartoon controversy. It states that theEU stands in solidarity with Denmark and all other countries that have been affected by the violence. Furthermore, it states thatMuslims may be offended by the cartoons and that they have the right to protest peacefully. However, the resolution also states that the freedom of speech is absolute and may not be affected by any form of censorship.[176]
Iranian confectioners union ordersDanish pastries renamed "Rose of Muhammad pastries"[8].
Approximately 40,000 people take part in a protest inKarachi, Pakistan marching and burning effigies of the Danish prime minister.[177]
Pakistani clericMaulana Yousaf Qureshi announces a $1 million bounty (plus a car) for killing the cartoonist who drew Muhammad.[178]
MinisterYaqoob Qureshi of India's Uttar Pradesh state government offered a reward of $11.5 million to anyone who would kill any of the cartoonists who drew the images of Muhammad.[179]
A crowd of over one thousand protesters storm the Italian consulate inBenghazi,Libya resulting in at least eleven deaths. Apparently, the protests were triggered by a provocation from the Italian reforms ministerRoberto Calderoli, who resigned the day after.[180]
The Danish and Norwegian embassies inDar es Salaam,Tanzania closed their offices, fearing a demonstration staged by Muslims in protest against the cartoons. Thousands of Muslim demonstrators staged a peaceful demonstration. The demonstrators issued a 21-day ultimatum to the governments of the two embassies to recant. If the ultimatum was not met, the demonstrators warned, Muslims in Tanzania would boycott all products and services from the two countries and would request the Tanzanian government to cut diplomatic ties with Denmark and Norway.[181]
Italian Minister Calderoli resigns after pressures from Prime Minister Berlusconi resulting from protests inLibya. Vice-Prime MinisterFini announces a visit to Rome's main mosque.
Protest march in Copenhagen arranged by a network of Muslim academics (The network). Approximately 3,000 people take part in a peace march with the message "more dialogue and peace amongst religions, cultures and Muslims". All kinds of nationalities and ages appear to be represented. Placard slogans include "Freedom of speech equals respect" and "Tolerance, not distance".[9][permanent dead link]
Sixteen people are killed in northernNigeria as demonstrators protested the cartoons by storming and burningChristian churches and businesses.[183]
Approximately four hundred protesters attempted to storm the gates of the United States Embassy inJakarta,Indonesia, chanting anti-U.S. slogans and burning American flags.
Over four hundred protesters are arrested and many others are sprayed withtear gas in an attempt by police to suppress protests inIslamabad,Pakistan.[184]
Danish newspaperPolitiken revealed that the 11 ambassadors in their letter in October, also wanted to express their concerns over current issues regarding Islam. The Danish Prime minister has repeatedly said, that the letter only asked for the government to take action againstJyllands-posten.[185]
The Pope urges respect for world religion and argues that people should try to avoid harming religious sensibilities[186]
Christians riot in the city ofOnitsha,Nigeria while Muslims riot in the city ofBauchi days after an anti-cartoon riots inMaidugugeri, another Nigerian city. At least 24 people have been killed in the two incidents.
TheBelarusian newspaperZgoda prints the 12 cartoons, but is closed soon afterwards.[188]
TheLithuanian Journalists and Publishers Commission for Ethics stated that publications of cartoons of Muhammad did not violate neither Lithuanian law nor the Code of Journalism Ethics. The Commission took the decision that these cartoons do not incite hatred on religious grounds, according to BNS.[189]
TheBritish National Party in the United Kingdom published the cartoons on their website alongside pictures of the violent demonstrations in London. The move is criticised by the major political parties.[190]
The editor of the Finnish culture magazineKaltio, Jussi Vilkuna, is fired after refusing to remove a cartoon involving Muhammad from the magazine's website. This cartoon features a fearful cartoonist trying to discuss the issue with the masked prophet, and Finnish politicians burningDanish flags (referring to the unwillingness of Finnish politicians to give Denmark any support in the issue).[191]
At least 127 people are killed inNigeria in clashes between Christian and Muslim mobs following continued protests over the cartoons.
25,000 people protest the cartoons inKarachi,Pakistan, shouting slogans such as "Down with the blasphemer," "Death to America," and "End diplomatic ties with European countries." Police arrested dozens of Muslim hardliners to prevent a protest in the Pakistani city ofLahore.[192]
In Poland theSaint Benedict Foundation starts a campaign, using posters displayingChristian martyrs (amongst whomAndrea Santoro) on trams in the city ofPoznań.Muslim communities in Poland condemned the exhibition of the posters. The foundation says it simply states the truth:
We aren't even talking about the prosecution ofChristians inMuslim countries, we are simply stating the truth: these people actually suffered because of their beliefs". Furthermore, theSaint Benedict Foundation argues that freedom of religion is non-existent in most Muslim countries and that non-Muslims are still prosecuted in these countries, but we don't mention this on our posters because of the recent cartoon controversy. A tramcompany in Poznan was willing to display the posters on their trams after a buscompany inWarsaw refused it.[195]
Danish reaction: "Danish police asks the public to stop sending any more charges against the Muslim community for hurting Denmark. The substance of the case does not change whether we get 5 or 500 letters."[198]
Palestinian reaction "63% of Palestinians consider violence an appropriate response to cartoons."[199]
A French satirical newspaper,Charlie Hebdo, wins against the French Muslim Council, which had sought to ban the paper. The paper published the original Muhammad cartoons, plus a few of its own, earlier this year.[200]
About 50,000 people, many chanting "Hang those who insulted the prophet," rallied in the southern Pakistani city ofKarachi. The protesters burned the Danish flag, hit an effigy of U.S. President George W. Bush with a stick and chanted "Death to America" and "Death toMusharraf." InTurkey, some 20,000 protesters chanting anti-Danish slogans gathered in the eastern city of Erzurum.
The Director of Public Prosecutors in Denmark agrees with the Local Prosecutor and decides that Jyllands-Posten was not in violation of Danish law.[203]
Five arrested over London cartoons protest.[204] The demonstration attracted widespread political condemnation at the time and among those calling for prosecutions was the Muslim Council of Britain.
Police in Berlin overwhelmAmer Cheema, a student from Pakistan, as he enters the office building ofDie Welt newspaper, armed with a large knife. Cheema admitted to trying to kill editorRoger Köppel for reprinting the Mohammad cartoons in the newspaper. On 1 May 2006, Cheema committed suicide in his prison cell. Cheema's family and Pakistani media claim he was tortured to death.[206] At least 20,000 people attended Cheemas funeral nearLahore.[207]
TheSwedish Minister for Foreign Affairs,Laila Freivalds resigns after an indirect attempt at censoring a website from displaying the cartoons in the middle of February by a civil servant of the foreign department, of which she denied any knowledge. When it became clear that she was fully aware of the incident, the press pressured the government so far that she decided to resign. According toregeringsformen, a part of the Swedish constitution, the government is not allowed to interfere with the freedom of the press.[208] The process by which this was discovered is notable, since the lie was made clear and well known by an internal paper in the government called "Riksdag & Department" whose job is to read all internal writings of the government and departments. Sweden is unusual, perhaps unique, in that all writings of the state are publicly accessible according to theprinciple of public access.
TheChurch in Wales has requested that subscribers of its magazine return all of the copies after one of the cartoons fromFrance Soir were accidentally printed. The church has apologised to theMuslim Council of Wales over this incident.[209]
An Islamic conference to discuss the consequences of theJyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy starts inBahrain. In attendance are high-profile politicians and clerics, as well asAhmed Akkari and Raed Hlayhel of the Danish-based Committee for Honouring the Prophet.[210]
Acting Swedish Foreign MinisterCarin Jämtin was not made welcome inDarfur. According to the governor of Darfur due to the Swedish involvement in the Mohammed Cartoons according to press secretary John Zanchi.[211]
In the US, two of the largest chains of bookstores,Borders andWaldenbooks, refuse to stock the April/May issue ofFree Inquiry magazine, containing four of the cartoons, because of fear for the safety of their employees.[213][214]
A group of Muslim organizations in Denmark suesJyllands-Posten claiming the cartoons were defamatory and injurious.[215] This lawsuit was dismissed on26 October.
Sudan 'blocks'UN tophumanitarian officialJan Egeland's trip toDarfur, saying that "in the light of the Danish cartoons row, it would not be sensitive or safe for a Norwegian such as Mr Egeland to visit."[216]
Libya's leaderMuammar al-Gaddafi, said onAl-Jazeera that "people who defamed Muhammad were defaming their own prophet, because Muhammad is the prophet of the people in Scandinavia, in Europe, America, Asia and Africa.[...] They should agree to become Islamic in the course of time, or else declare war on the Muslims."[217]
The US basedComedy Central network airs "Cartoon Wars Part II," an episode of the controversial animated series "South Park." Though the creators wanted to include an image of Muhammad in the episode as part of its message, the network ultimately demanded it censored. The episode also included disrespectful images of Jesus, George Bush and the American flag that werenot censored, which the creators have said is meant to highlight the double standard.
Two-month jail sentences imposed by a Jordanian court on two journalists, Jihad Momani and Hisham Al-Khalidi, for reprinting cartoons of Muhammad.[221]
2006 German train bombing plot. Twosuitcase bombs are discovered in trains near the German towns ofDortmund andKoblenz, undetonated due to an assembly error. Video footage fromCologne train station, where the bombs were put on the trains, led to the arrest of two Lebanese students in Germany, Youssef al-Hajdib and Jihad Hamad, and subsequently of three suspected co-conspirators in Lebanon.[222] On 1 September 2006,Jörg Ziercke, head of theBundeskriminalamt (Federal Police), reports that the suspects saw the Muhammad cartoons as an "assault by the West on Islam" and the "initial spark" for the attack, originally planned to coincide with the2006 Football World Cup in Germany.[223][224]
One year after the publication of the original cartoons, a video surfaced showing members of theDanish People's Party's youth wing engaged in a contest of drawing pictures that insult Muhammad. Publicity surrounding the contest led to renewed tension between the Islamic world and Denmark,[225] with the OIC and many countries weighing in. The Danish government condemned the youths, and those who were depicted in the video went into hiding after receiving death threats. Two weeks into this episode, a Danishartists' group, "Defending Denmark", claimed responsibility for the video and said it hadinfiltrated the Danish People's Party Youth for 18 months claiming "to document (their)extreme right wing associations".[226] A few days later, a new episode surfaced when a member of theSocial-liberal youth movement stated that members of the movement had also drawn pictures of Muhammad during a weekend meeting. Unlike the Danish People's Party Youth's drawings, this episode was not condoned by the youth movement, but was done by individuals.[227]
The national Norwegian TV-channel, TV2, airs a one-hour documentary about the printing of the Muhammad cartoons, the controversy and the aftermath of them. In the documentary the cartoons appear multiple times. The Norwegian foreign ministry had previously warned embassies that had previously been affected by demonstrations because of the cartoons.[228]
TheUnited Nations Department of Public Information holds a seminar "Unlearning Intolerance" entitled "Cartooning for Peace: The Responsibility of Political Cartoonists?", to "explore the rights, roles and responsibilities of political cartoonists in promoting peace issues." because "the anger and divisiveness engendered by the publication of the caricature of Prophet Mohammed and the recent controversial exhibit on the Holocaust suggest both a sense of the power and of the necessity of responsibility in the art of cartooning."[229]
TheDanish court dismissed a lawsuit filed by Muslims, saying that "there was no reason to assume that the cartoons were meant to "belittle Muslims".[230]
InYemen, Kamal al-Aalafi, editor of theArabic weekly, Al-Ra'i al-Am, was sentenced to a year in prison for reprinting the cartoons. The sentencing court also ordered that the paper be closed for six months and that al-Aalafi himself not be permitted to write for an equal amount of time. He was subsequently released on bail.[231]
InYemen, Mohammed al-Asaadi, editor of the English-language daily,The Yemen Observer, was ordered jailed until he could pay a fine of 500,000rials (approximately $2500) for reprinting the cartoons.[231]
Umran Javed (Birmingham) was found guilty of soliciting murder by having chanted death threat slogans during an anti-cartoon rally at London's Danish embassy.[232] He, and three other young British Muslim men, were later sentenced to between four and six years in prison for their actions and statements during that demonstration.[233]
A student guest editor of one of the several student newspapers ofClare College, Cambridge reprints one of the cartoons in an issue devoted to religious satire. It is only the second student newspaper (and fourth media outlet) in the UK to reprint the cartoons in whole or in part. Widespread student outrage ensues—although theNational Secular Society leaps to the editor's defense—and Clare punitively cuts the paper's funding in response the incident, as well as destroying most copies of the newspaper. The editor, against whom Clare initiates disciplinary action, is forced to go into hiding for his safety. Ultimately, the editor was reprimanded and forced to publish an apology.[234][235][236][237]
The French newspaperLibération reprints the Mohammed cartoons anew, to highlight the start of a trial against another French newspaper,Charlie Hebdo, and in support of free speech. The trial was initiated by several major Muslim organizations who suedCharlie Hebdo because of their decision to publish the cartoons in February 2006.[238]
Islamic countries pushed through a resolution of theUnited Nations Human Rights Council, which "prohibits the defamation of religion". The resolution mentions no religion except Islam. The initiative was brought in the immediate aftermath of the cartoon controversy, and is considered a direct response to it.[239]
A network of Danish Muslim organisations, upon losing a libel court case against theDanish People's Party, threatens afatwa against Jyllands-Posten unless the paper apologizes.[240]
During the ongoing trial of four terror suspects arrested in Denmark, known as theVollsmose case, one of the accused testified thatJyllands-Posten culture editorFlemming Rose was the target of a terror bombing the group had planned. According to the suspect, they were considering sending a remote-controlled car packed with explosives into the private residence of the editor. Threats were also allegedly made towards DanishMPNaser Khader, who defended the publication of the cartoons.[241]
On 12 February 2008, Danish police arrested three men (twoTunisians and one Danish national originally fromMorocco) suspected of planning to assassinate Kurt Westergaard, the cartoonist who drew theBomb in the Turban cartoon. Shortly afterwards, the Dane was released without charge; the two Tunisians were not charged either, but expelled to Tunisia. Despite this, Westergaard has since been under police protection. He has said he is angry that a "perfectly normal everyday activity [drawing political cartoons] which I used to do by the thousand was abused to set off such madness."[242][243] The next day, 13 February 2008,Jyllands-Posten, and many other Danish newspapers includingPolitiken andBerlingske Tidende, reprinted Westergaard'sBomb in the Turban cartoon, as a statement of commitment to freedom of speech.[244] The liberal newspaperPolitiken had been critical of the original publication of the cartoons, but reprinted this one now as a gesture of solidarity in the face of a specific threat.[245]
In Denmark, some public disturbances with burnt-out cars[246] and a school set ablaze[247] followed these events, but the police are unsure if it is directly related to the cartoons controversy or the fact that the two Tunisians were subsequently sentenced to deportation without a trial.[248][249] Other sources claim the riots in theNørrebro district of Copenhagen, which started before the arrests, were wholly unrelated to the cartoons controversy, and were rather set off by police harassment of ethnic minorities in areas of Copenhagen.[250] Some disturbances had occurred already in the days preceding the arrests.[251] Peaceful demonstrations were held in Copenhagen after Friday prayers, with the flags ofHizb ut-Tahrir prominent.[252]
Egypt banned editions of four foreign newspapers including the New York-based Wall Street Journal and Britain's The Observer for reprinting the controversial Danish cartoons criticizing Muhammad.[254]
In October 2008,Ekstra Bladet published excerpts from an interview with Taliban spokesmanQari Yousuf Ahmadi[257][258] saying Danish troops inOruzgan Province are a "primary target" of the Taliban because of the cartoon issue, adding the Danes would be forced to leave Afghanistan.[259]
Officials atYale University Press decided to expunge reproductions of the cartoons along with all other images of Muhammad from a scholarly book entitledThe Cartoons that Shook the World, by professorJytte Klausen.[260] News of the decision sparked criticism from some prominent Yale alumni as well as from theAmerican Association of University Professors. Yale defended its rationale by saying it feared inciting violence if the images were published.[261] Flemming Rose, the cultural editor who commissioned the cartoons, has described Yale's action as "[giving] in to intimidation... not even intimidation but an imagined intimidation".[262] The images of Muhammad censored by Yale were published in the 2009 bookMuhammad: The "Banned" Images.
On 1 January 2010, Danish police shot and wounded a man at the home of Kurt Westergaard inAarhus. Westergaard drew the best known of the cartoons, which depicted Muhammad with a bomb in his turban. The man was described as a 28-year-oldSomali linked to the Islamistal-Shabab militia. He reportedly shouted in broken English that he wanted to kill Westergaard, who alerted police after locking himself into apanic room in the house, which was a specially fortified bathroom.[263][264] Police said that the man was "armed with an axe and a knife in either hand", and broke down the entrance door of the house with the axe. The man attempted unsuccessfully to break down the door of the panic room while shouting swear words. He was shot in his right leg and left hand after reportedly throwing the axe at a police officer who arrived at the scene.[265] Westergaard's five-year-old granddaughter was present in the living room of the house during the incident, but neither Westergaard nor his grandchild were harmed. Bomb disposal experts searched the home in order to ensure that a device had not been planted.[266] The Somali man was carried into court on a stretcher to face two charges of attempted murder, which he denied. He was not named at the time of his arrest as the result of aninjunction in the Danish courts. A spokesman for al-Shabab, SheikhAli Muhamud Rage, commented: "We appreciate the incident in which a Muslim Somali boy attacked the devil who abused our prophet Mohammed and we call upon all Muslims around the world to target the people like him."[267] On 4 February 2011, the attacker, named in court as Mohamed Geele, was sentenced to nine years in prison for attempting to commit an act of terrorism. Geele appealed the sentence, claiming that he was attempting to scare Westergaard to make him "stop bragging about drawing the cartoon", but was subsequently sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and permanent expulsion from Denmark by theHigh Court on 22 June 2011.[268][269]
Following a meeting between the editor-in-chief of the Danish newspaperPolitikenTøger Seidenfaden and Faisal A.Z. Yamani, Saudi attorney-at-law, who represented eight Muslim groups from the Middle East and Australia, the Danish newspaper apologized for having reprinted a cartoon by Kurt Westergaard in 2008, and issued a press release saying:[270][271][272] "Politiken has never intended to reprint the Cartoon Drawing as a statement of editorial opinion or values but merely as part of the newspaper's news coverage (...) We apologize to anyone who was offended by our decision to reprint the cartoon drawing." The apology prompted criticism from leading Danish politicians, among them prime ministerLars Løkke Rasmussen, who stated that "Politiken is bowing to other's views of our freedom of speech and this can lead to further attacks on Danish freedom of speech," as well as the head of theDanish Union of Journalists, but Politiken has replied that the settlement did not mean that it had imposed on itself a ban on future publications of the drawings.[273]
German ChancellorAngela Merkel honours cartoonist Kurt Westergaard. He received the M100 media prize for his "courage" to defend democratic values despite threats of violence and death. TheCentral Council of Muslims in Germany criticized the award ceremony.[274][275]
A smallexplosion at Hotel Jørgensen in Copenhagen was described by the police as an accident with a letter bomb that was meant to be sent toJyllands-Posten.[276]
A 37-year-old Iraqi Kurd that was arrested in Norway earlier that year suspected of planning unspecified terrorist attacks confessed that one of his targets wasJyllands-Posten.[277]
The journalist Flemming Rose published his 500-page bookTavshedens Tyranni (Tyranny of Silence) on the fifth anniversary of the first publishing of the cartoons.[278]
The newspaper destroyed an edition of itsweekend supplement,Uke-Adressa, before it was distributed. The reason was a satirical drawing by the newspaper's cartoonist,Jan O. Henriksen, that editorArne Blix in subsequent interviews stated was in conflict with editorial policies. Blix declined to give details of the drawing or the reason for its unacceptability, however according to Henriksen the depiction was of Kurt Westergaard holding one of his Mohammad drawings.[279]
Denmark's foreign ministerLene Espersen met in Cairo with theGrand Imam of Al-Azhar,Ahmed al-Tayeb, on 13 October 2010, and stated that the hurt caused to Muslims from cartoons lampooning Muhammad was "very regrettable".[280] She denies that this should be interpreted as an apology for the drawings, stating "I explained that the people of Denmark has no wish to violate or hurt the feelings of others. We do not wish to demonize anyone, we are a tolerant people. And then I explained our constitutional right to free speech, and they understood".[281]
In December 2010, a classifieddiplomatic cable leaked that had been written in September 2006 byJames P. Cain, theUnited States Ambassador to Denmark at the time. It reported that theJyllands-Posten had decided against reprinting the cartoons on the first anniversary of the original publication, and observed: "Our discreet discussions with the paper and with senior Danish government officials underscore both how close we came to another potential crisis and how much the defense of free speech and domestic political calculations remain paramount for the government and for many Danes."[282]
Five men were arrested in connection with asuspected plot to stage a gun attack of the offices of the Jyllands-Posten inCopenhagen. Jakob Scharf, the head of Denmark'sPET intelligence agency, described the men as "militant Islamists". Four of the suspects, includingMunir Awad, were detained in Denmark, and the fifth was detained in Sweden.[283][284][285]
Oslo District Court found two men guilty of planning a terror attack againstJyllands-Posten and the cartoonist Kurt Westergaard.[289] In OctoberBorgarting Court of Appeal upheld the convictions and sentenced one of the convicted who is ofUighur origin to eight years in prison and the other who is ofIraqiKurdish origin to three years in prison. The former has appealed the sentence to theSupreme Court of Norway.[290]
A few days after the assumed assassination attempt ofLars Hedegaard,The Islamic Society in Denmark stated that it had been a mistake to go to Lebanon and Egypt in 2006 to show the caricatures of Muhammad.[291]
Kurt Westergaard and his Danish gallery "Galleri Draupner" released a new edition of the Muhammad cartoons. The first one was made in 2000 for the Danish art museum in Frederikshavn and the second and third were made forJyllands Posten. They were all handmade, printed, framed, numbered (only 40 were printed) and sold in an all-leather box on a special event in the gallery in Skanderborg.
A teacher working atBatley Grammar School inBatley, North England was suspended after showing students an image of the cartoon ofMuhammad taken from the Danish newspaper. The teacher went under police protection, with authorities worried for her safety following themurder of Samuel Paty in which a French teacher was decapitated for allegedly showing students an image of Muhammad made byCharlie Hebdo.[292][293]
^Editor and PublisherArchived 7 October 2009 at theWayback Machine articleEgypt Bans Four Foreign Newspapers Over Republication of Anti-Prophet Cartoons published 19 February 2008
^"Gir ut bok med Muhammed-karikaturer" [Publishing book with Muhammed caricatures]. Culture and media section (Unsigned article from NTB) (in Norwegian). Bergens Tidende. 2 October 2010. p. 5.Cappelen Damm har kjøpt rettighetene til den omstridte bokenTavshedens Tyranni av den danske journalisten Flemming Rose. I boken blir omstridte tegninger of profeten Muhammed publisert. Rose er tidligere redaktør i Jyllands-Posten. Torsdag, på dagen fem år etter at avisen trykket de omstridte karikaturtegningene av profeten Muhammed første gang, ble boken hans gitt ut i hjemlandet. Cappelen Damm omtaler boken som en 500-siders essaysamling om ytringsfriheten og dens grenser. [Cappelen Damm has bought the rights to the controversial bookTavshedens Tyranni by the Danish journalist Flemming Rose. In the book, controversial drawings of the prophet Muhammad are published. Rose is a former editor at Jyllands-Posten. On Thursday, to the day five years after the newspaper first printed the controversial caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, his book was published in his home country. Cappelen Damm refers to the book as a 500-page collection of essays on freedom of expression and its limits.]
