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<span id="mi">]'' in September 2005. Larger versions of the image are available. ]]</span>

The '''''Jyllands-Posten'' Muhammad cartoons controversy''' began after twelve ]s depicting the ] ] were published in the ] newspaper '']'' on ] ]. Danish Muslim organizations organised protests. As the controversy has grown, some or all of the cartoons have been reprinted in newspapers in more than 20 other countries.<ref>{{citenews|date=]|title=World leaders rally round as crisis deepens|org=The Times of London|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2028037,00.html}}</ref>

The publication of the cartoons has led to significant ] around the world, particularly in ].

The drawings, including a depiction of Muhammad with a bomb inside or under his ], accompanied by an article on ] and ]. ], the cultural editor of ''Jyllands-Posten'', commissioned twelve ]s for the project and published the cartoons to highlight the difficulty experienced by Danish writer ] in finding artists to illustrate his ] about Muhammad. Cartoonists previously approached by Bluitgen were reportedly unwilling to work with him for fear of violent attacks by ] Muslims.

Although ''Jyllands-Posten'' maintains that the drawings were an exercise in free speech, some contend that regardless of faith, the depiction of Muhammad as a terrorist is culturally offensive and ]. Others, however, view the cartoons as a form of ] protest in response to the violent threats and ] experienced by those who publicly criticise Islam.

Several ]s have been made against those responsible for the cartoons, reportedly resulting in the cartoonists going into hiding. <!-- dead links - http://www.jp.dk/english_news/artikel:aid=3306572/, http://www.jp.dk/english_news/artikel:aid=3378236/ - dead links -->
] was also swift; the ] of eleven Islamic countries demanded action from the Danish government, and ] eventually closed its embassy in Denmark in protest after the government refused to censure the newspaper or apologise. The Danish Prime Minister ] said, "The government refuses to apologize because the government does not control the media or a newspaper outlet; that would be in violation of the freedom of speech".

A large consumer ] was organised in ], ], and other Middle East countries. The foreign ministers of seventeen Islamic countries renewed calls for the Danish government to punish those responsible for the cartoons, and to ensure that such cartoons are not published again. The ] and the ] have demanded that the ] impose ] upon Denmark.<ref>{{citenews|date=]|title=Muslims seek UN resolution over Danish prophet cartoons|org=AFP|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060129/wl_mideast_afp/denmarkislamsyriabahrainunreligion_060129160121}}</ref> Numerous protests against the cartoons have taken place, some of them violent. On ], the buildings containing the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Syria were set ablaze, although no one was hurt. In ] the Danish ] was set on fire,<ref>{{citenews|date=]|title=Protesters burn consulate over cartoons|org=CNN|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/02/05/cartoon.protests/index.html}}</ref> resulting in the death of one protestor inside the complex.<ref>{{citenews|date=]|title=Protestors killed as global furor over cartoons escalates|org=Middle East Times|url=http://www.metimes.com/articles/normal.php?StoryID=20060206-081448-7380r}}</ref> Deaths have also been reported in riots in ].<ref>{{citenews|date=]|title=Muslim cartoon fury claims lives|org=BBC|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4684652.stm}}</ref>


== The events ==
{{main|Timeline of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy}}

=== Debate about self-censorship ===
On ] ], the Danish newspaper '']'' ran an article under the headline ''"Dyb angst for kritik af islam"''<ref name="dybangst">{{da icon}}{{citenews|date=]|title=Dyb angst for kritik af islam|org=Politiken|url=http://politiken.dk/VisArtikel.sasp?PageID=397712}}</ref> ("Profound fear of criticism of Islam"). The article discussed the difficulty encountered by the writer ], who was initially unable to find an ] who was prepared to work with Bluitgen on his children's book ''Koranen og profeten Muhammeds liv'' ("The ] and the prophet Muhammad's life"). Three artists declined Bluitgen's proposal before an artist agreed to assist anonymously. According to Bluitgen:
:''One , with reference to the murder in Amsterdam of the film director ], while another the lecturer at the ] in Copenhagen''<ref name="dybangst"/>.
In October 2004, a lecturer at the Niebuhr institute at the ] was assaulted by five assailants who opposed the lecturer's reading of the ] to non-Muslims during a lecture<ref>{{da icon}}{{citenews|date=]|title=Overfaldet efter Koran-læsning|org=TV 2 (Denmark)|url=http://nyhederne.tv2.dk/article.php?id=1424089}}</ref>.

The refusal of the first three artists to participate was seen as evidence of ] and led to much debate in Denmark, with other examples for similar reasons soon emerging. The comedian ] declared that he did not dare satirise the Qur'an on television, while the translators of an essay collection critical of Islam also wished to remain anonymous due to concerns about violent reaction.

=== Publication of the drawings ===
On ] ], the daily newspaper ''Jyllands-Posten'' ("The ] Post") published an article titled "Muhammeds ansigt"<ref>{{da icon}}{{citenewsauthor|given=Flemming|surname=Rose|date=]|title=Muhammeds ansigt|org=Jyllands-Posten|url=http://www.jp.dk/login?url=indland/artikel:aid=3293102:fid=11146}}</ref> ("The face of Muhammad"). The article consisted of 12 cartoons (of which only some depicted Muhammad) and an explanatory text, in which ], ''Jyllands-Posten'''s culture editor, commented:
:''The modern, ] society is rejected by some Muslims. They demand a special position, insisting on special consideration of their own religious feelings. It is incompatible with ] democracy and freedom of speech, where you must be ready to put up with insults, mockery and ridicule. It is certainly not always attractive and nice to look at, and it does not mean that religious feelings should be made fun of at any price, but that is of minor importance in the present context. we are on our way to a slippery slope where no-one can tell how the self-censorship will end. That is why Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten has invited members of the Danish editorial cartoonists union to draw Muhammad as they see him. '' <ref>{{da icon}}{{citenews|date=]|title=Jyllands-Posten: Ytringsfrihed: Mohammes ansigt|org=AvisNET|url=http://www.aiu.dk/avisnet/show.php?id=812}}</ref>

After an invitation from ''Jyllands-Posten'' to around forty different artists to give their interpretation on how Muhammad may have looked, twelve ]s chose to respond with a drawing each. Some of these twelve drawings portray Muhammad in different fashions; many also comment on the surrounding self-censorshipdebate. In the clockwise direction of their position in the page layout:

* The Islamic ] partially symbolizing the face of Muhammad; his right eye is the star, the crescent surrounds his beard and face.
* Muhammad with a bomb in his turban, with a lit fuse and the ] written on the bomb. This drawing is considered the most controversial of the twelve.
* Muhammad standing in a gentle pose with a ] in the shape of a crescent moon. The middle part of the crescent is obscured, revealing only the edges which resemble horns.
* An ] drawing of crescent moons and ], and a poem on oppression of women "Profet! Med kuk og knald i låget som holder kvinder under åget!". In English the poem could be read as: "Prophet, you crazy bloke! Keeping women under yoke"
* Muhammad as a simple wanderer, in the desert, at sunset. There is a donkey in the background.
* A nervous caricaturist, shakily drawing Muhammad while looking over his shoulder.
* Two angry Muslims charge forward with sabres and bombs, while Muhammad addresses them with: "Rolig, venner, når alt kommer til alt er det jo bare en tegning lavet af en vantro sønderjyde" (loosely, "Relax guys, it's just a drawing made by some infidel ]". South Jutland as reference would, for a Dane, ] the feeling of something like ]).
* An Arab-looking boy in front of a blackboard, pointing to the ] chalkings, which translate into "The editorial team of Jyllands-Posten is a bunch of ] ]s". The boy is labelled "Mohammed, ] school, 7.A", implying that this is a second-generation immigrant to Denmark rather than the founder of Islam. On his shirt is written "Fremtiden" (the future).
* Another drawing shows Muhammad ], with a short sabre in one hand and a black bar censoring his eyes. He is flanked by two women in ]s, having only their wide open eyes visible.
* Muhammad standing on a cloud, greeting dead ]s with "Stop Stop vi er løbet tør for Jomfruer!" ("Stop, stop, we have run out of virgins!"), an allusion to the promised reward to ]s.
* Another shows journalist ], wearing a turban with the ]ial orange dropping into it, with the inscription "]". In his hand is a child's stick drawing of Muhammad. The proverb "an orange in the turban" is a Danish expression meaning "a stroke of luck": here, the added publicity for the book.

And in the centre:
* A police line-up of seven people wearing turbans, with the witness saying: "Hm... jeg kan ikke lige genkende ham" ("Hm... I can't really recognise him"). Not all people in the line-up are immediately identifiable. They are: (1) A generic ], (2) politician ], (3) possibly ], (4) possibly ], (5) possibly ], (6) a generic Indian ], and (7) journalist ], carrying a sign saying: "Kåres PR, ring og få et tilbud" ("Kåre's public relations, call and get an offer").

===Police investigation of Jyllands-Posten===
A number of Muslim organizations submitted complaints to the Danish police claiming that ''Jyllands-Posten'' had committed an offence under section 140 and 266b of the ]. <ref name="danish_response_to_un_jan"> {{citenews | title = Official Response by the Danish Government to the UN Special Rapporteurs | org = Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark | date = ] | url = http://www.um.dk/NR/rdonlyres/00D9E6F7-32DC-4C5A-8E24-F0C96E813C06/0/060123final.pdf }} </ref>

Section 140 of the Criminal Code prohibits any person from publicly ridiculing or insulting the dogmas of worship of any lawfully existing religious community in Denmark. Section 266b criminalises the dissemination of statements or other information by which a group of people are threatened, insulted or degraded on account of their religion. Danish police began their investigation of these complaints on 27 October 2005. <ref name="danish_response_to_un_jan"/>

On 6 January 2006, the Regional Public Prosecutor in ] decided to discontinue the investigation as he found no basis for concluding that the cartoons constituted a criminal offence. He stated that, in assessing what constitutes an offence, the right to freedom of speech must be taken into consideration. That while the right to freedom of speech must be exercised with the necessary respect for other human rights, including the right to protection against discrimination, insult and degradation, no apparent violation of the law had occurred. <ref name="danish_response_to_un_jan"/>

=== Jyllands-Posten response ===
''Jyllands-Posten'' published two open letters on its website, both in ] and Arabic versions, and the second letter also in an English version.<ref>{{ar icon}}</ref><ref></ref> The second letter was dated 30 January, and includes the following explanation and apology:

:''In our opinion, the 12 drawings were sober. They were not intended to be offensive, nor were they at variance with Danish law, but they have indisputably offended many Muslims for which we apologize.''

=== Danish Muslim clerics tour the Middle East ===
Unsatisfied with the reaction of the Danish Government and Jyllands-Posten and feeling provoked additionally in particular by a televised interview with ] member of parliament and Islam critic ], who was received by Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, and by the situation of ] in general, which they perceived as racist and condescending, a group of Danish Muslim clerics from several organisations set out for a tour of the Middle East to present their case and ask for support.<ref>{{en icon}}</ref>

For this purpose a ] was created.<ref>{{da icon}}</ref>.
It consists of several letters from Muslim organisations explaining their case, multiple clippings from Jylland Posten, multiple clippings from Weekend Avisen, and some additional images that, according to the dossier's authors, have been sent to Muslims in Denmark, and were indicative of the rejection of Muslims by the Danish<ref></ref>.
Some claim that the group of clerics has misrepresented their origin<ref>{{da icon}}</ref> <ref>{{citenews|date=]|title=Scandinavian Update: Israeli Boycott, Muslim Cartoons|url=http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/668|org=The Brussels Journal}}</ref>. On ] ] incorrectly claimed that one of the additional images had been published in ''Jyllands-Posten''. <ref>{{da icon}}{{citenews|title=Imam viste falske billeder|org=Jyllands-Posten|date=]|url=http://www.jp.dk/indland/artikel:aid=3527718}}</ref>

Among the leadership of the group were Imam ] of the ] and Akhmad Akkari, spokesman of the Danish-based European Committee for Prophet Honouring.<ref>{{en icon}}{{citenews|title=Danish paper rejected Jesus Cartoons|org=Guardian|date=]|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1703501,00.html}}</ref> Danish Sheik Rais Huleyhel was named head of the delegation and signed the petition letters.
Among the people the group claims to have met on their visit to Egypt were: The General Secretary of the ] ], the Egyptian ] Ali Gomaa and the Sheik of Cairo's ] university Mohammed Sayed Tantawi and the Egyptian foreign office.

===Reprinting in other newspapers===
{{further|]}}

In 2005, the Muhammad cartoons controversy received only minor media attention outside of Denmark. January 2006 saw some of the pictures reprinted first in ], then in major newspapers of Denmark's southern neighbors ], ] and ]. Very soon after, as protests grew, there were re-publications around the globe, but mostly in continental Europe.

Notable by their absence were re-publications from major newspapers in the ]<ref>{{citenews|date=]|title=A media dilemma: The rest of a story|org=Philadelphia Inquirer|url=http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/front/13788640.htm}}</ref> and the ]<ref>{{citenews|date=]|title=US, British media tread carefully in cartoon furor|org=Christian Science Monitor|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0206/dailyUpdate.html}}</ref>, where editorials covered the story, but almost unanimously took a stance against re-publication of the Mohammad cartoons.

Several editors were fired for their decision, or even their intention,<ref>{{citenews|date=]|title=NY Press Kills Cartoons; Staff Walks Out|org=The New York Observer|url=http://thepoliticker.observer.com/2006/02/ny-press-kills-cartoons-staff-walks-out.html}}</ref>
<ref>{{citenews|date=]|title=Paper withdrawn over cartoon row|org=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4689442.stm}}</ref> to re-publish the cartoons, most prominently the chief editor of '']'', Jacques Lefranc.

Three of the cartoons were reprinted in the ] weekly newspaper ]<ref name="gunmen_shut_EU_Gaza_office">{{citenews|date=]|title=Gunmen shut EU Gaza office over cartoons|org=CNN|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/02/gaza.cartoon/index.html}}</ref>. The editor, Momani, was fired, and the publisher withdrew the newspaper from circulation. Momani issued a public apology, was arrested and charged with insulting religion.<ref>{{citenews|date=]|title=Embassies burn in cartoon protest|org=BBC News|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4681294.stm}}</ref> Several of the cartoons were reprinted in the Jordanian newspaper ''al-Mehwar''. The editor Hisham Khalidi was also arrested and charged with insulting religion. Both charges were dropped two days later.<ref>{{de icon}}{{citenews|date=]|title=Brennende Botschaften und Antisemitismus|org=Spiegel|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,399224,00.html}}</ref>

Al-Hurreya newspaper in ] was closed down after publishing some images. Owner/Editor Abdul-Karim Sabra was arrested. <ref>{{citenews|date=]|title= Newspaper shut for printing cartoons|org=The Australian|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18066782%255E23109,00.html}}</ref>

In ], Lester Melanyi, an editor of the '']'' resigned from his post for allowing the reprinting of a cartoon. The chief editor was summoned to the Internal Security Ministry.<ref>{{citenews|date=]|title=Sarawak paper prints Prophet cartoon, editor quits|org=The Sun (Malaysia)|url=http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=12873}}</ref>

In ], a Muslim organization obtained an interdict from the Johannesburg High Court against several South African newspapers, preventing them from publishing the cartoons.<ref>{{citenews|date=]|title=Muslim anger hits SA|org=Sunday Tribune (South Africa)|url=http://www.sundaytribune.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=160&fArticleId=3097465}}</ref>

== International reactions==
]
{{main|International reactions to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy}}
What started with the problem of a Danish author trying to find an illustrator for his forthcoming book about Islam has become an international crisis. It has led to violence, arrests, international tensions, and a renewed debate about the scope of free speech and the place of Muslims in the West, and the West in Muslim countries.
Many governments, organizations and individuals worldwide have issued statements, trying to define their stance.

== Conflicting traditions ==
===Danish journalistic tradition===
] in Denmark was obtained in a new constitution with ] in 1849 and ] in ] together with other liberties, including freedom of religion. These freedoms have been defended vigorously ever since. Freedom of speech was abandoned temporarily only during the ] during ].

Section 77 of the Constitutional Act of Denmark (1953) reads: “Any person shall be at liberty to publish his ideas in print, in writing, and in speech, subject to his being held responsible in a court of law. Censorship and other preventive measures shall never again be introduced.”<ref></ref>

Under international law, freedom of expression in Denmark is also protected by among others the ] and the ].

Section 140 of the Danish Penal Code prohibits ]. However, this law has not been enforced since 1938.<ref></ref> Section 266b of the Danish Penal Code prohibits expressions that threaten, deride or degrade on the grounds of race, colour, national or ethnic origin, belief or sexual orientation. The Danish public prosecutor determined that the Muhammad cartoons did not constitute blasphemy under Danish law.<ref name="danish_response_to_un_jan"> {{citenews | title = Official Response by the Danish Government to the UN Special Rapporteurs | org = Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark | date = ] | url = http://www.um.dk/NR/rdonlyres/00D9E6F7-32DC-4C5A-8E24-F0C96E813C06/0/060123final.pdf }} </ref>

] and other religious figures are often portrayed in Denmark in ways that many other societies would consider illegal blasphemy. In 1984 the artist ] was commissioned by a local art club to paint the wall of a railway station. The work displayed a naked Jesus with an erect penis.<ref></ref> In 1992 Thorsen directed the film ''Jesus vender tilbage'' which showed Jesus as sexually active and involved with a terrorist group.<ref></ref><ref></ref> While Thorsen’s work provoked much public debate and his painting was removed from the public building, he was not charged with any legal offence.

Danish newspapers are privately owned and independent from the government. There are no restrictions on the political viewpoints that may be published. There are frequent caricatures of priests and politicians as well as of Queen Margrethe II.<ref></ref>

Although the Danish press is free to satirise, a 2004 report by the European Network Against Racism concluded that a disproportionate amount of time and space is devoted to negative reporting on ethnic minorities. Within the Danish media spectrum, ''Jyllands-Posten'' was singled out as being particularly anti-immigrant. <ref></ref>

=== Islamic tradition ===
{{main|Aniconism}}
The ], Islam's holiest book, condemns idolatry, but has no direct condemnations of pictorial art. Direct prohibitions of pictorial art, or any depiction of sacred figures, are found in some ], or recorded oral traditions.

Views regarding pictorial representation within the religious communities have varied from group to group, (i.e. Jews, Christians, Muslims) and from time to time. ] Muslims have been generally tolerant of pictorial representation of human figures, ] Muslims less so. However, the Sunni ], the last dynasty to claim the ], were not only tolerant but even patrons of the miniaturists' art. Many Ottoman miniatures depict Muhammad; they usually show Muhammad's face covered with a veil or as a featureless void emanating light (depicted as flames). Pictorial surveys of Muhammad can be found on the internet. <ref>http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hi/hi_fimu.htm</ref><ref>http://www.superluminal.com/cookbook/index_flat_gallery.html#</ref><ref>http://www.zombietime.com/mohammed_image_archive</ref> Note that the last site also contains some modern depictions ,offensive to some, of Muhammad.

Most contemporary Muslims believe that ordinary portraits and photos, films and illustrations, are permissible. Only some ] and ] interpretations of Sunni Islam still condemn pictorial representations of any kind. Offensive ] pictures are a somewhat different case — disrespect to Islam or to Muhammad is still widely considered ] or ].

According to the ] "It is the satirical intent of the cartoonists, and the association of the Prophet with terrorism, that is so offensive to the vast majority of Muslims."<ref>{{news reference|firstname=Magdi|lastname=Abdelhadi|title=Cartoon row highlights deep divisions|date=] ]|org=]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4678220.stm}}</ref>

== Opinions ==
{{main|Opinions on the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy}}

== Comparable incidents ==
{{Main|Freedom of speech versus blasphemy}}

Believers from a multitude of faiths have called for boycott, arrest, censorship or even murder of critics, artists and commentators whose works they considered blasphemous. Some have been jailed, censored or shot, others walked free.

These incidents have seen frequent mention in connection with the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy:

*''] (exhibition)''
*''] (installation)''
*''] (short film)''
*''] (photo)''
*''] (novel)''
*''] (film)''
*''] (book)''
*''] (painting)''
*''] (play, then a television programme)''
*''] (film)''

== See also ==
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*''] (book)''

== References ==
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== External links ==
* {{da icon}}
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=== Official correspondence ===
* (PDF)
* (PDF)
* Second open letter to the Muslims of Saudi Arabia from Jyllands-Posten
** (PDF)
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* (on this issue)

=== Islamic views ===
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=== News sites ===
{{wikinews|Tensions continue to rise in Middle East over "Mohammad Cartoons"}}
* BBC News article:
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* BBC News, 3 February 2006]

=== Support for Denmark and Jyllands-Posten ===
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=== Images ===
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** Mirror site
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=== Academic analysis ===
* at ] discusses and applies various ] theories to the recent event.

=== Mixed Viewpoints ===
* Discussion about the cartoon row

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Revision as of 19:15, 8 February 2006

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