Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy: Difference between revisions

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			I will kill you all...
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	<span id="mi">]'' in September 2005. versions of the image are available off-site.]]</span>
	The '''''Jyllands-Posten'' Muhammad cartoons controversy''' began after twelve ]s, most of which depicted the ] ], were published in the ] newspaper '']'' on ] ]. Danish Muslim organizations staged protests in response. As the controversy has grown, some or all of the cartoons have been ] in 40 other countries. This has led to ] around the world, particularly in ]: opponents say that the cartoons are culturally insensitive, insulting, and ].

	==Overview==
	{{Muhammad cartoons}}
	The drawings, including a depiction of Muhammad with a bomb inside or under his ], were accompanied by an article on ] and ]. ], the cultural editor of the conservative daily newspaper ''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. Artists previously approached by Bluitgen were reportedly unwilling to work with him for fear of violent attacks by ] Muslims.

	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 -->
	The ] of eleven Islamic countries demanded action from the Danish government, and several Arab countries eventually closed their embassies in Denmark in protest after the government initially refused to intervene or apologize. 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".<ref>{{citenews\|date=]\|title=Cartoons that dare not show their face: Europeans must stand up against intolerance\|org=Rocky Mountain News\|url=http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/editorials/article/0,2777,DRMN_23964_4446067,00.html}}</ref>

	A group of Danish Imams ] decision-makers in the Middle East. A large consumer ] was organised in ], ], and other Middle East countries. Rumours spread via ] and word-of-mouth.<ref>{{citenews\|date=]\|title=E-Mail, Blogs, Text Messages Propel Anger Over Images\|org=Washington Post\|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/08/AR2006020802293.html}}</ref> 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 name="UN resolution">{{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> and that the ] introduce blasphemy laws.<ref>{{citenews\|date=]\|title=OIC chief presses EU to pass blasphemy laws. \|org=The Peninsula\|url=http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=Gulf%2C+Middle+East+%26+Africa&month=February2006&file=World_News2006021442143.xml}}</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 protester 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>
	As of ] ], at least 13 people have been killed in the protests.
	<ref>
	{{citenews\|date=]\|title=Cartoon anger unabated\|org=Reuters\|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060210/ts_nm/religion_cartoons_dc}}</ref>

	== Timeline ==
	{{wikinewshas\|news relating to this article\|
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	{{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-censorship debate. Four of these twelve cartoons were illustrated by Jyllands-Posten's own staff, including the "bomb" and "niqaab" cartoons. In the clockwise direction of their position in the page layout:

	* The Islamic ] merged with 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.
	* A schematic stick drawing of five almost identical figures. Each of them resembles a headscarf seen from the side and has a ] and a crescent where the face should be. A poem on oppression of women is attached to the cartoon: "Profet! Med kuk og knald i låget som holder kvinder under åget!", which could be translated 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 their leader addresses them with: "Rolig, venner, når alt kommer til alt er det jo bare en tegning lavet af en vantro sønderjyde", referring to a drawing in his hand. In English, his words are: "Relax, friends, at the end of the day, it's just a drawing by an infidel ]".
	* A 7th grade 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 "FREM" and then in a new line "-TIDEN". ''Fremtiden'' means ''the future'', but ] (''forward'') is also the name of a Valby football team whose uniforms resemble the boy's shirt. Valby is a district of Copenhagen known for having a concentrated population of immigrants.
	* Another drawing shows Muhammad ], with a short sabre in one hand and a black bar censoring his eyes. He seems to be smiling. 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!" Translated in English: "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) 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").

	=== Jyllands-Posten response ===
	In response to protests from Danish Muslim groups ''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 ] ], 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.''

	=== Meeting with Arab Ambassadors refused by Danish Prime Minister ===
	Having received petitions from Danish imams, eleven Arab ambassadors asked for a meeting with Danish prime minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in ] ], in order to discuss what they perceive as an ''on-going smearing campaign in Danish public circles and media against Islam and Muslims''.. The government declined because it apparently interpreted the letter as asking Rasmussen to take legal steps against the newspaper, and the government did not see this as an acceptable basis for a meeting.<ref>{{da icon}}</ref> However, Foreign Minister ] received them.<ref>{{en icon}}</ref> The refusal of meeting the ambassadors has been a major point of criticism towards the government from the opposition.

	===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 ] ]. <ref name="danish_response_to_un_jan"/>

	On ] ], the Regional Public Prosecutor in ] discontinued 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"/>

	=== Danish Imams tour the Middle East ===
	{{main\|Akkari-Laban dossier}}

	Unsatisfied with the reaction of the Danish Government and Jyllands-Posten and feeling provoked additionally in particular by
	* pictures from Weekend Avisen which they called "even more offending" (than the original 12 cartoons),
	* hate-mail pictures and letters 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,
	* a televised interview with ] member of parliament and Islam critic ], who had just received the Freedom Prize “for her work to further freedom of speech and the rights of women” from the ] represented by Anders Fogh Rasmussen

	A group of Danish ]s from several organisations created a ]<ref>{{citenews\|title=The imam and the unbelievers of Denmark\|org=Ekstra Bladet\|date=]\|url=http://ekstrabladet.dk/VisArtikel.iasp?PageID=334426}}</ref>. This appears to have been assembled and added to until some point after ] ], with the first lobbying visits to Egypt having taken place before finalization.

	It consists of several letters from Muslim organisations explaining their case, multiple clippings from Jyllands-Posten, multiple clippings from Weekend Avisen, some clippings from Arabic-language papers, and three additional images. ]

	Apparently, the group of imams misrepresented the origin of the latter three images<ref></ref><ref>{{da icon}} and {{citenews\|date=]\|title=Scandinavian Update: Israeli Boycott, Muslim Cartoons\|url=http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/668\|org=The Brussels Journal}}</ref>. On ] ] incorrectly reported that one of them 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> This image was later found to be a wire-service photo of a contestant at a French pig-squealing contest <ref></ref> (the original wire service article can be seen here <ref></ref>), although the dossier's version also included the caption ''Here is the true face of Muhammad'' (in Danish, with an Arabic translation). According to the BBC, this image was misleadingly circulated by Danish Muslims to illustrate the atmosphere of Islamophobia which they lived under<ref></ref>. The other two additional images portrayed a muslim being mounted by a dog while praying and Muhammad as a demonic pedophile (referencing the ]). Note that both the pig and the dog are considered impure animals in Islam. Attempts by the Jordanian media to accurately portray the Jyllands-Posten cartoons and reduce tension in the Middle-East failed when the editors concerned were arrested <ref></ref> for insulting religion under Jordan's press and publications laws.

	The group of Imams set out for a tour of the Middle East to present their case to many influential religious and political leaders, and to ask for support:<ref></ref>
	The dossier oscillates wildly between diplomatic statements such as:
	*''We urge you to - on the behalf of thousands of believing Muslims - to give us the opportunity of having a constructive contact with the press and particularly with the relevant decision makers, not briefly, but with a scientific methodology and a planned and long-term programme seeking to make views approach each other and remove misunderstandings between the two parties involved. Since we do not wish for Muslims to be accused of being backward and narrow, likewise we do not wish for Danes to be accused of ideological arrogance either. When this relationship is back on its track, the result will bring satisfaction, an underpinning of security and the stable relations, and a flourishing Denmark for all that live here''
	* ''We call your attention to this case, and place it in your hands, in such a way that we together may think and have an objective dialogue regarding how an appropriate exit can be found for these crises in a way which does not violate the freedom of speech, but which at the same time does not offend the feelings of Muslims either.''
	and misinformation:
	* ''The faithful in their religion (muslims) suffer under a number of circumstances, first and foremost the lack of official recognition of the Islamic faith. This has led to a lot of problems, especially the lack of right to build mosques ''
	* ''Even though they belong to the Christian faith, the secularizations have overcome them, and if you say that they are all infidels, then you are not wrong.''
	* ''This happened in connection with the promotion of a book, which has recently been published, and which contains these inappropriate cartoons''

	It is notable that the letters in the dossier that long predate the tour to the Middle East are solidly within the diplomatic and concillatory range and are free of misinformation, while that later letters use a more urgent language.

	Not exactly misinformation, but possibly a misunderstanding was the inclusion in the dossier of the aforementioned cartoons from Weekend Avisen. These cartoons were more likely to be parodies on the pompousness of Jylland-Posten's cartoons than cartoons of the Prophet in their own right<ref>{{da icon}}</ref>, these consist of reproductions of works such as the ] (caption: ''For centuries, a previously unknown society has known that this is a painting of the Prophet, and guarded this secret. The back page's anonymous artist is doing everything he can to reveal this secret in his contribution. He has since then been forced to go underground, fearing for the wrath of a crazy albino imam'', a very obvious pun on the ]), or Composition VIII by Russian abstract artist ] (caption: ''Bellowing Prophet by a Forest Lake'', a pun on "Bellowing Deer by a Forest Lake", an image associated with very poor taste.)

	At a ] ] summit of the ], with many heads of state in attendance, the dossier was handed around on the sidelines first<ref>{{citenews\|title= How a meeting of leaders in Mecca set off the cartoon wars around the world\|org=The Independent\|date=]\|url=http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article344482.ece}}</ref>, and eventually an official communique was issued.<ref name="UN resolution" /> Later, the Egyptian ambassador was criticised by the Danish foreign ministry for for adding to the unrest by alleging that Islam was not an offically recognized religion in Denmark. <ref>{{da icon}}[http://politiken.dk/VisArtikel.iasp?PageID=438583 Trossamfund angriber Muhammed-satire i Egyptisk ambassadør fik verbal afklapsning </ref>

	===Reprinting in other newspapers===
	] ]'' -
	One of the controversial cartoons of Muhammad, as it appeared on the first page of the Egyptian Newspaper '']''.]]{{see\|List of newspapers that reprinted Jyllands-Posten's Muhammad cartoons}}]
	In 2005, the Muhammad cartoons controversy received only minor media attention outside of Denmark. Six of the cartoons were reprinted by the Egyptian newspaper ] on 17 October 2005<ref>{{citenews\|date=]\|title=Danes Blame Imams for Satire Escalation, Survey Says (Update1)\|org=Bloomberg\|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=a8hEmi2ja5cg&refer=europe}}</ref><ref>{{citenews\|date=]\|title=First Newsbreaker\|org=egyptiansandmonkey\|url=<!-- http://elfagr.org/ed_21.html -->http://egyptiansandmonkey.blogspot.com/}}</ref><ref>{{citenews\|date=]\|title=No Danish Treatment for an Egyptian Newspaper\|org=FreedomForEgyptians\|url=http://freedomforegyptians.blogspot.com/2006/02/egyptian-newspaper-pictures-that.html}}</ref> along with an article strongly denouncing them, but publication did not provoke any reactions nor condemnations from either religious or government authorities. Some or all of the cartoons were reprinted between October 2005 and the end of January 2006 in major European newspapers from ], ], ], ] and ], without much protest. Very soon after, as protests grew, there were further 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 Muhammad cartoons.

	Several editors were fired for their decision, or even their intention<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 managing director of '']'', Jacques Lefranc), some were stopped by publishers<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=P.E.I. student paper publishes cartoons of Prophet\|org=CBC\|url=http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2006/02/08/cartoons-smu-prof.html}}</ref> or courts<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>.

	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, Jihad Momani, was fired, and the publisher withdrew the newspaper from circulation. Jihad 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> The Malaysian government has also shut down the newspaper indefinitely. <ref>{{citenews\|date=]\|title=Islam-West divide 'grows deeper'\|org=BBC News\|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4699716.stm}}</ref>

	Yemen detained three journalists on Sunday, February 12 and is seeking a fourth after closing three publications that printed the cartoons. Al-Hurriya, Yemen Observer and al-Rai al-Aam were shut and their case sent to prosecutors. The officials said those detained are Mohammad al-Asaadi, the editor-in-chief of the English-language Yemen Observer, Akram Sabra, the managing editor of al-Hurriya weekly newspaper and reporter Yehiya al-Abed of Hurriya. The prosecution has issued a warrant for Kamal al-Aalafi, the editor-in-chief of al-Rai al-Aam. The Yemeni journalists' association called for the release of the journalists and for the annulment of the closure decrees "because these measures were not ordered by a court". <ref>http://www.ww4report.com/node/1586</ref> <ref>http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3A6809B2-A7A4-4170-9B94-099FAEE84761.htm</ref>

	On Sunday February 12, Algeria closed two newspapers and arrested their editors for printing the images of the cartoons of the Prophet. Kahel Bousaad and Berkane Bouderbala, respectively editors of the pro-Islamist weeklies, Errisala and Iqraa, were detained last week and will appear before an investigating judge in Algiers on Monday, staff of the two Arabic newspapers said. <ref>http://www.ww4report.com/node/1586</ref> <ref>http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3A6809B2-A7A4-4170-9B94-099FAEE84761.htm</ref>

	== International reactions==
	] Markets announces its boycott of all kinds of Danish Products"''</small>]]
	{{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 death, 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 violate either 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. In 2003, ] rejected unsolicited cartoons about Jesus<ref></ref>, opening them to accusations of a ].

	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 ].<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 editorial space is devoted to negative reporting on ethnic minorities. <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 several religious communities have varied from group to group, and from time to time. Among Muslims, the ] 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>

	A ] exists given by ], the ] ] of Iraq, stating that it is permissible to make pictures of ], if done with the highest respect.

	=== International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ===
	The ] ( )
	is a ] treaty based on the ], which entered into force on 23 March 1976.
	Articles 19 and 20 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights reads:

	* '''Article 19'''
	# Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.
	# Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.
	# The exercise of the rights provided for in paragraph 2 of this article carries with it special duties and responsibilities. It may therefore be subject to certain restrictions, but these shall only be such as are provided by law and are necessary:
	:: (a) For respect of the rights or reputations of others;
	:: (b) For the protection of national security or of public order (ordre public), or of public health or morals.

	* '''Article 20'''
	# Any propaganda for war shall be prohibited by law.
	# Any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law.

	Denmark signed the Covenant on 20 March 1968, Iran on 4 April 1968 and The United States on 5 October 1977.

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

	== Comparable references ==
	{{Main\|Freedom of speech versus blasphemy}}

	Throughout history, believers from a multitude of faiths have called for boycott, arrest, censorship or even execution of critics, artists and commentators whose works they considered blasphemous or racist. Some have been punished for committing a ] such as ]. In some cases publications have been censored. In other cases offending artists have been aquitted or escaped the wrath of those who were offended. As well, public pressure has led to changes, such as pressure that resulted in changing the mascots of sports teams in schools across the United States. In the current case voices have been heard that the cartoonists from Jyllands-Posten should be punished under ] similar to the way ] was excuted for ] by ] after World War II.

	The following references of alleged blasphemy or hate speech have been mentioned in connection with the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy:

	*'']<ref>{{news reference\|firstname=Jacob, Libby\|lastname=Goodman\|title=When Arab papers vilify Jews – freedom of press is claimed\|date=] ]\|org=]\|url=http://www.zoa.org/pressrel2006/20060201a.htm}}</ref>(newspaper, 2006, Palestine)
	*''] (college mascot)''
	*''] (comedian)
	*''] (exhibition)''
	*'' (])
	*''] (musical)''
	*''] (film)''
	*''] (photo)''
	*''] (business name)''
	*''] (exhibition, 1999, London, New York)
	*''] (installation)''
	*''] (short film)''
	*''] (film)''
	*''] (book)''
	*''] (film)''
	*''] (novel)''
	*''] (painting)''

	== See also ==
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]
	*]

	== External links ==
	*
	*
	*
	=== Official correspondence ===
	* (PDF)
	* (PDF)
	* Second open letter to the Muslims of Saudi Arabia from Jyllands-Posten
	** (PDF)
	**
	*
	*

	=== Islamic views ===
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*

	=== News articles ===
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*
	*

	=== Images ===
	*
	*
	*
	*
	<!--* -->
	*
	*
	*

	=== Academic analysis ===
	* at ] discusses and applies various ] theories to the recent event.

	=== Reconciliation ===
	* Muslim groups petition for reconciliation
	* Letter for reconciliation in Arabic, Danish and English
	* Danish petition for reconciliation
	* Another Danish petition for reconciliation

	== References ==
	<div style="font-size: 90%">
	<references />
	</div>

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Revision as of 12:39, 15 February 2006

I will kill you all...