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The controversial cartoons of Muhammad, first published in Jyllands-Posten in September 2005. Larger versions of the cartoons are available off-site.

The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy also known as the "Cartoon Riots" in the west, began after editorial cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on September 30, 2005. Danish Muslim organizations staged protests in response. As the controversy has grown, some or all of the cartoons have been reprinted in newspapers in more than fifty other countries, which led to violent protests, particularly in the Islamic world. Image File history File links Jyllands-Posten_Muhammad_drawings. ... Image File history File links Jyllands-Posten_Muhammad_drawings. ... Jyllands-Posten (The Jutland Post), full name: (help· info) , is Denmarks largest-selling daily newspaper. ... William Lyon Mackenzie King is freed from his Conscription promise by Johnny Canuck. ... The Quran identifies a number of men as prophets of Islam (Arabic: nabee نبي ; pl. ... For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... Jyllands-Posten (The Jutland Post), full name: (help· info) , is Denmarks largest-selling daily newspaper. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 92 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم) is an adherent of Islam. ... This is a list of newspapers that have reprinted the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons or printed new cartoons depicting Muhammad in response to the controversy. ... Demonstrators march in the street while protesting the World Bank and International Monetary Fund on April 16, 2005. ... The Islamic world is the world-wide community of those who identify with Islam, known as Muslims, and who number approximately one-and-a-half billion people. ...

Critics argue that the cartoons are culturally insulting, Islamophobic, blasphemous, and intended to humiliate a marginalized Danish minority. Supporters of the cartoons claim they illustrate an important issue and their publication exercises the right of free speech. They also claim that there are similar cartoons about other religions, arguing that Islam and its followers have not been targeted in a discriminatory way. Islamophobia is term used by Islamic advocates to discredit proponents of criticisms of Islam and Islamic culture. ... Look up blasphemy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Freedom of speech is the right to freely say what one pleases, as well as the related right to hear what others have stated. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( (help· info)), submission (to the will of God) is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion. ... This article is about discrimination in the social science sense. ...

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has described the controversy as Denmark's worst international crisis since World War II. ^[1] This is a list over the heads of government in Denmark, from the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in 1849 until present. ... Anders Fogh Rasmussen , also: (born January 26, 1953) is the current Prime Minister of Denmark. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others. ...

Overview

Flemming Rose, the cultural editor of the conservative daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten, contacted approximately 40 cartoonists and asked them to draw the prophet as they saw him. This was meant to highlight the difficulty experienced by Danish writer Kåre Bluitgen in finding artists to illustrate his children's book about Muhammad. Artists previously approached by Bluitgen were reportedly unwilling to work with him for fear of violent attacks by extremist Muslims. Rose eventually received twelve cartoons from different cartoonists for the project and published the cartoons accompanied by an article on self-censorship and freedom of speech. Jyllands-Posten (The Jutland Post), full name: (help· info) , is Denmarks largest-selling daily newspaper. ... Islamic Society in Denmark is a Danish organization led by Ahmad Abu Laban, with approximately 15,000 members (2005). ... The Islamic world is the world-wide community of those who identify with Islam, known as Muslims, and who number approximately one-and-a-half billion people. ... Flemming Rose Flemming Rose (born March 11, 1958) is a Danish journalist, author and the current cultural editor at the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. ... KÃ¥re Bluitgen (born May 10th, 1959) is a Danish writer and political commentater. ... // Basic characteristics There is some debate as to what constitutes childrens literature. ... For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... Extremism is a term used to describe either ideas or actions thought by critics to be unwarranted or at least beyond what is acceptable in a civilised society. ... A cartoonist at work. ... Self-censorship is the act of censoring and/or classifying ones own book(s), film(s), or other kind of art to avoid offending others without an authority pressuring them to do so. ... A public demonstration Freedom of speech is often regarded as an integral concept in modern liberal democracies, where it is understood to outlaw censorship. ...

Several death threats and rewards for murdering those responsible for the cartoons have been issued^[2], reportedly resulting in the cartoonists going into hiding. This article may not be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ...

The foreign ministries 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. PM Rasmussen 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".^[3] A foreign minister is a cabinet minister that helps to form foreign policy for sovereign nations. ...

A group of Danish Imams lobbied decision-makers in the Middle East. A large consumer boycott was organised in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other Middle East countries.^[4] Rumours spread via SMS and word-of-mouth.^[5] 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 would not be published again. The Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League have demanded that the United Nations impose international sanctions upon Denmark^[6] and that the EU introduce blasphemy laws.^[7] For weeks, numerous protests against the cartoons have taken place worldwide, some of them violent. On February 4, 2006, the buildings containing the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Syria were set ablaze, although no one was hurt. In Beirut the Danish Embassy office was set on fire,^[8] resulting in the death of one protester inside.^[9] Lobbying is the practice of private advocacy with the goal of influencing a governing body by promoting a point of view that is conducive to an individuals or organizations goals. ... A boycott is an action undertaken to abstain from using, buying, or dealing with someone or some organisation as an expression of protest or as a means of coercion. ... SMS arrival notification on a Siemens phone Short Message Service (SMS) is a service available on most digital mobile phones that permits the sending of short messages (also known as text messages, or more colloquially SMSes, texts or even txts) between mobile phones, other handheld devices and even landline telephones. ... The flag of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC; Arabic: منظمة المؤتمر الإسلامي) (Turkish: İslam Konferansı Örgütü) (French: Organisation de la Conférence Islamique) is an inter-governmental organization with a Permanent Delegation to the United Nations. ... Flag of the League of Arab States The Arab League or League of Arab States (Arabic: جامعة الدول العربية), is an organization of Arab states (compare Arab world). ... United Nations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... International sanctions are actions taken by countries against others for political reasons, either unilaterally or multilaterally, and consist of three major forms: Diplomatic sanctions - the reduction or removal of diplomatic ties, such as embassies. ... February 4 is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Central Beirut Beirut (Arabic: , Bayrūt) is the capital, largest city, and chief seaport of Lebanon. ... A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one nation state present in another nation state to represent the sending state in the receiving State. ...

Four ministers have resigned due to events related to the cartoons controversy, among them Roberto Calderoli and Laila Freivalds.^[10][11] Roberto Calderoli is an Italian politician, currently the Reforms Minister, member of the Lega Nord. ... Laila Freivalds Photo: Magnus Fröderberg/norden. ...

Descriptions of the drawings

The twelve drawings are shown in the picture at the top of this article. Clockwise from top:

• The Islamic star and crescent 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 Islamic creed written on the bomb.
• Muhammad standing in a gentle pose, dressed in pajamas. A glowing crescent around his turban suggests both a halo and a pair of horns.
• A schematic stick drawing of five almost identical figures. Each of them resembles a headscarf seen from the side and has a Star of David 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 at work. While looking over his shoulder, he shakily draws a portrait, labelled "MOHAMMED".
• 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 South Jutlander".
• A 7th grade Arab-looking boy in front of a blackboard. Sticking out his tongue, he points to the Farsi chalkings, which translate into "The editorial team of Jyllands-Posten is a bunch of reactionary provocateurs". The boy is labelled "Mohammed, Valby 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 Frem (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.
• Muhammad prepared for battle, 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 niqaabs, having only their wide open eyes visible.
• Muhammad standing on a cloud, greeting dead suicide bombers 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 Islam martyrs.
• Journalist Kåre Bluitgen, wearing a turban with the proverbial orange dropping into it, with the inscription "Publicity stunt". 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: The Star and crescent historically was a symbol of the Ottoman Empire, but later become associated with Islam in general. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... An astronomically correct crescent shape (in blue). ... Halo around the sun at the South Pole (NOAA) A halo (also known as a nimbus or Gloriole) is a ring of light that surrounds an object. ... The Star of David The Star of David (Hebrew: [pronounded maw-gān daw-vēd], transliteration: Magen David, Ashkenazi Hebrew transliteration: Mogen David-- literally: Shield of David, Arabic: , transliteration: Najmat Dawuud), also known as the Seal of Solomon or Symbol of Solomon (Arabic: خاتم سليمان, Khatam Sulayman), is a generally recognized... Sønderjyllands Amt (English: South Jutland County) is a county (Danish, amt) on the Jutland peninsula in southern Denmark. ... Persian (known variously as: فارسی Fârsi or پارسی Pârsi, local name in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, Tajik, a Central Asian dialect, or Dari, another local name in Tajikistan and Afghanistan) is a language spoken in Iran, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Bahrain, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ... Reactionary (or reactionist) is a political epithet typically applied to conservatism. ... An agent provocateur (plural: agents provocateurs) is a person assigned to provoke unrest, violence, debate, or argument by or within a group while acting as a member of the group but covertly representing the interests of another. ... Valby is one of the 15 administrative, statistical, and tax city districts (bydele) comprising the municipality of Copenhagen, Denmark. ... BK Frem is a Danish football club, from the district of Valby, in Copenhagen. ... Muhammad (c. ... Yemeni woman wearing niqab Woman wearing a scarf wrapped around her head and face as a niqab-popular style in the Levant region. ... A suicide bombing is a bomb attack on people or property, committed by a person who knows the explosion will cause his or her own death in addition to the attacks primary purpose (see suicide, suicide weapons). ... Historically, a martyr is a person who dies for their convictions or religious faith, such as during the persecution of early Christians in the Roman Empire. ... Kåre Bluitgen (born May 10th, 1959) is a Danish writer and political commentater. ... A proverb (from the Latin proverbium) is a pithy saying which gained credence through widespread or frequent use. ... The media itself often stages stunts for movies and television shows. ...

• 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 Hippie, (2) right-wing politician Pia Kjærsgaard, (3) possibly Jesus, (4) possibly Buddha, (5) possibly Muhammad, (6) generic Indian Guru, and (7) journalist Kåre Bluitgen, carrying a sign saying: "Kåres PR, ring og få et tilbud" ("Kåre's public relations, call and get an offer").

To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Pia Kjærsgaard Pia Merete Kjærsgaard (born February 23, 1947 in Copenhagen) is the leader of the Danish Peoples Party. ... Jesus (8-2 BC/BCE – 29-36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus the Nazarene, is the central figure of Christianity, in which context he is known as Jesus Christ, where Christ is a Greek title meaning Anointed, corresponding to the Hebrew term Messiah. The... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... References ^ Tirha, B. B. A Taste of Trascendence, (2002) p. ... KÃ¥re Bluitgen (born May 10th, 1959) is a Danish writer and political commentater. ...

Timeline

Wikinews has news relating to this article:

• Comic artists response to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
• Ten die in Libya over Muhammad cartoon T-shirt
• Israeli group announces anti-semitic cartoons contest
• Protest held against Muhammad caricatures in Paris
• French satirical weekly reprints caricatures
• 700,000 march in Beirut; Hezbollah leader lambasts Bush and Rice
• Jyllands-Posten reconsiders printing holocaust denial cartoons
• Hamshari newspaper plans cartoon response
• Danish mission in Beirut set ablaze
• Danish and Austrian embassies in Tehran attacked
• New Zealand newspapers publish "Mohammad Cartoons"
• Danish and Norwegian embassies set on fire
• Manipulation alleged in the "Mohammad Cartoons" affair
• Darfur declares Swedish Foreign Minister unwelcome due to Mohammed Cartoons

Main article: Timeline of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy

Image File history File links Wikinews-logo. ... Wikinews is a free content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... This is the timeline of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. ...

Debate about self-censorship

On September 17, 2005, the Danish newspaper Politiken ran an article under the headline "Dyb angst for kritik af islam"^[12] ("Profound fear of criticism of Islam"). The article discussed the difficulty encountered by the writer Kåre Bluitgen, who was initially unable to find an illustrator who was prepared to work with Bluitgen on his children's book Koranen og profeten Muhammeds liv ("The Qur'an and the prophet Muhammad's life"). Three artists declined Bluitgen's proposal before an artist agreed to assist anonymously. According to Bluitgen: September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Politiken is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper, published by JP/Politikens Hus, one of Denmarks leading media companies. ... KÃ¥re Bluitgen (born May 10th, 1959) is a Danish writer and political commentater. ... An illustrator is a graphic artist who specializes in enhancing written text by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text. ... The Qurān (Arabic: recitation) from Syriac qeryānā lectionary, also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly as Alcoran, is the holy book of Islam. ...

One [artist declined], with reference to the murder in Amsterdam of the film director Theo van Gogh, while another [declined, citing the attack on] the lecturer at the Carsten Niebuhr Institute in Copenhagen^[12]. Theo van Gogh Theo van Gogh (July 23, 1957 – November 2, 2004) was a controversial Dutch film director, television producer, publicist and actor. ... Carsten Niebuhr (March 17, 1733 - April 26, 1815) was a German traveller. ...

In October 2004, a lecturer at the Niebuhr institute at the University of Copenhagen was assaulted by five assailants who opposed the lecturer's reading of the Qur'an to non-Muslims during a lecture^[13]. University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen (Danish: Københavns Universitet) is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Copenhagen, Denmark. ... The Qurān (Arabic: recitation) from Syriac qeryānā lectionary, also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly as Alcoran, is the holy book of Islam. ...

The refusal of the first three artists to participate was seen as evidence of self-censorship and led to much debate in Denmark, with other examples for similar reasons soon emerging. The comedian Frank Hvam declared that he would (hypothetically) dare to urinate on the Bible on television, but not on the Qur'an^[14][15], while the translators of an essay collection critical of Islam also wished to remain anonymous due to concerns about violent reaction. Self-censorship is the act of censoring and/or classifying ones own book(s), film(s), or other kind of art to avoid offending others without an authority pressuring them to do so. ... Frank Hvam (born September 12, 1970 in Viborg) is a Danish stand-up-comedian. ...

Publication of the drawings

On September 30, 2005, the daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten ("The Jutland Post") published an article titled "Muhammeds ansigt"^[16] ("The face of Muhammad"). The article consisted of 12 cartoons (of which only some depicted Muhammad) and an explanatory text, in which Flemming Rose, Jyllands-Posten's culture editor, commented: September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 92 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jutland Peninsula Jutland (Danish: Jylland; German: Jütland) is a peninsula in northern Europe that forms the mainland part of Denmark and a northern part of Germany, dividing the North Sea from the Baltic Sea. ... Flemming Rose Flemming Rose (born March 11, 1958) is a Danish journalist, author and the current cultural editor at the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. ...

The modern, secular society is rejected by some Muslims. They demand a special position, insisting on special consideration of their own religious feelings. It is incompatible with contemporary 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. [...] ^[16] // Secular movements In political terms Secularism is a movement toward the separation of church and state as opposed to Theocracy which would be a movement toward the joinder of church and state. ... Contemporary is an adjective which in its basic form merely means that two individuals, events or movements overlapped in time. ...

After an invitation from Jyllands-Posten to around forty different artists to give their interpretation of Muhammad, twelve caricaturists 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. A caricaturist is an artist who specializes in drawing caricatures. ...

In the Washington Post, on February 19, Rose explained his intent further:

The cartoonists treated Islam the same way they treat Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and other religions. And by treating Muslims in Denmark as equals they made a point: We are integrating you into the Danish tradition of satire because you are part of our society, not strangers. The cartoons are including, rather than excluding, Muslims. [...] Angry voices claim the [bomb in the turban] cartoon is saying that the prophet is a terrorist or that every Muslim is a terrorist. I read it differently: Some individuals have taken the religion of Islam hostage by committing terrorist acts in the name of the prophet. They are the ones who have given the religion a bad name.^[15]

In October the Danish daily Politiken polled 31 of the 43 members of the Danish cartoonist association. 23 were willing to draw Muhammad. One had doubts, one refused because of fear for reprisals, 6 cartoonists refused to make the drawings because they respected the Muslim ban on depicting the prophet. 15 of the 31 cartoonists rejected Jyllands-Posten's project.^[17] Politiken is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper, published by JP/Politikens Hus, one of Denmarks leading media companies. ...

Jyllands-Posten response

In response to protests from Danish Muslim groups Jyllands-Posten published two open letters on its website, both in Danish and Arabic versions, and the second letter also in an English version.^[18][19] The second letter was dated 30 January 2006, and includes the following explanation and apology: January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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.

On February 26, Jyllands-Posten published an interview with the cartoonist who had drawn the bomb in turban picture, the most controversial of the twelve. Asked about its message, he explained: February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

The cartoon is not about Islam as a whole, but the part that apparently can inspire violence, terrorism, death and destruction. And thereby the fundamentalist part of Islam. I wanted to point out that terrorists get their spiritual ammunition from Islam.

There are interpretations of it [the drawing] that are incorrect. The general impression among Muslims is that it is about Islam as a whole. It is not. It is about certain fundamentalist aspects, that of course are not shared by everyone. But the fuel for the terrorists’ acts stem from interpretations of Islam. I think there is no escaping that. That does not mean that all Muslims are responsible for terror. It is about showing a connection, from where the spiritual fuel comes. There are some interpretations of Islam, according to which you become a martyr if you die for Islam, and you can therefore with a calm mind kill the infidels, and you will be rewarded in the beyond.

If a religion develops into religious fanaticism we are faced with totalitarian tendencies, as we have been in the past, such as Fascism and Nazism. It is the same situation, where humans have to surrender and do as demanded by the rulers. I think we should fight against that, and the weapon of a cartoonist is this pen or pencil and then a certain degree of indignation.

Asked whether the cartoon displays appropriate respect for Islam, the cartoonist commented:

It does not respect the version of Islam, that provides the spiritual fuel for terrorists. I have nothing against Islam or Muslims. They should have their freedom, but if parts of a religion develop in a totalitarian and aggressive direction, then I think you have to protest. We did so under the other 'isms. Under communism thousands of satirical drawings and other satire were made that revealed and spoke against it. ^[20] Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which exposes the follies of its subject (for example, individuals, organizations, or states) to ridicule, often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ...

Meeting with Islamic Ambassadors refused by Danish Prime Minister

Having received petitions from Danish imams, eleven Islamic ambassadors asked for a meeting with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen in 12 October 2005, in order to discuss what they perceived as an "on-going smearing campaign in Danish public circles and media against Islam and Muslims". The ambassadors mentioned not only the issue of the Muhammad cartoons, but also a recent indictment against Radio Holger^[21] and statements by MP Louise Frevert^[22] and the Minister of Culture Brian Mikkelsen^[23]. It concluded: "We deplore these statements and publications and urge Your Excellency’s government to take all those responsible to task under law of the land in the interest of inter-faith harmony, better integration and Denmark's overall relations with the Muslim world".^[24] October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Radio Holger is a Danish right-wing radio station, some would even go as far as calling it a neo-nazi radio station. ... Louise Frevert (born May 31, 1953 in Frederiksberg) is a Danish member of the Danish parlaiment. ... Brian Mikkelsen Brian Arthur Mikkelsen (born January 31, 1966) has been the Danish Culture Minister since 27 November 2001, as member of the Cabinet of Anders Fogh Rasmussen I and II. He is a member of the Conservative Peoples Party, and has been a member of parliament (Folketinget) since...

The government answered the ambassadors' request for a meeting with Rasmussen with a letter only, 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: "The freedom of expression has a wide scope and the Danish governments has no means of influencing the press. However, Danish legislation prohibits acts or expressions of blasphemous or discriminatory nature. The offended party may bring such acts or expressions to court, and it is for the courts to decide in individual cases."^[25]

The ambassadors, on the other hand, maintained that they have never really asked that Jyllands-Posten should be prosecuted; possibly, the non-technical phrase of the letter, "to take NN to task under law", meant something like "to hold NN responsible within the limits of the law".^{[26] [27]}. Rasmussen replied that this interpretation was irrelevant: "Even a non-judicial intervention against Jyllands-Posten would be impossible in our system".^[28]

The Egypt Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aboul Gheit, wrote several letters to the Prime Minister of Denmark and one letter to the secretary general of the UN in October and November explaining that they did not want the Prime Minister to prosecute Jyllands-Posten; they only wanted "an official Danish statement underlining the need for and the obligation of respecting all religions and desisting from offending their devotees to prevent an escalation which would have serious and far-reaching consequences".^[29] Subsequently, allegedly disappointed by not being heard by the Danish government, Egypt played a leading role in diffusing the knowledge of the Muhammad cartoons to the other regimes of the Middle East.^[30] The United Nations Secretary-General is the head of the Secretariat, one of the principal divisions of the United Nations. ...

The refusal to meet the ambassadors is a major point of criticism towards the government from the opposition. It has also been criticized by 22 Danish ex-ambassadors^[31] and by Rasmussen's predecessor as the leader of the governing liberal party Venstre, ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Uffe Ellemann-Jensen. Venstre (in Danish literally: Left) is the biggest political party in Denmark, ideologically based on free market Liberalism, now a right-of-centre party. ... Uffe Ellemann-Jensen (b. ...

Judicial investigation of Jyllands-Posten

On October 27, 2005, a number of Muslim organizations filed a complaint with the Danish police claiming that Jyllands-Posten had committed an offence under section 140 and 266b of the Danish Criminal Code.^[32] October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Danish penalty law (Danish: Straffeloven) is the codification of the central legal text and constitutes the foundation of the Kingdom of Denmarks criminal law. ...

Section 140^[33] of the Criminal Code, known as the blasphemy law, prohibits disturbing public order by publicly ridiculing or insulting the dogmas of worship of any lawfully existing religious community in Denmark. It is punishable by either a jail sentence of no more than four months or, in some circumstances, a fine. Only one case has ever resulted in a sentence, a 1938 case involving an anti-Semitic group. The most recent case was in 1971 when a program director of Danmarks Radio was charged under section 140. He was found not guilty.^[34] DRs logo. ...

Section 266b^[35] criminalises insult, threat or degradation of natural persons, by publicly and with malice attacking their race, color of skin, national or ethnical roots, faith or sexual orientation. Danish police began their investigation of these complaints on 27 October 2005. ^[32] In jurisprudence, a natural person is a human being perceptible through the senses and subject to physical laws, as opposed to an artificial person, i. ... Malice is a legal term referring to a partys intention to do injury to another party. ... October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 6 January 2006, the Regional Public Prosecutor in Viborg discontinued the investigation as he found no basis for concluding that the cartoons constituted a criminal offence. His reason is based on his finding that the article concerns a subject of public interest and, further, on Danish case law which extends editorial freedom to journalists when it comes to a subject of public interest. 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.^[32] In a new hearing, the Director of Public Prosecutors in Denmark agreed.^[36] January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Viborg, is a town located in central Jutland, Denmark. ...

Danish Imams tour the Middle East

Main article: Akkari-Laban dossier

A group of Danish imams, dissatisfied with the reaction of the Danish Government and Jyllands-Posten created a 43-page document entitled, "Dossier about championing the prophet Muhammad peace be upon him"^[37]. The Akkari-Laban dossier is a 43 page document which was created by a group of Danish Muslim clerics from multiple organizations set out to present their case and ask for support in the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. ... Imam (Arabic: إمام , Persian: امام ) is an Arabic word meaning Leader. The ruler of a country might be called the Imam, for example. ...

The dossier consists of several letters from Muslim organisations explaining their case, citing the Jyllands-Posten cartoons but also the following causes of "pain and torment" for the authors:

1. Pictures from another Danish newspaper, Weekendavisen, which they called "even more offending" (than the original 12 cartoons);
2. Hate-mail pictures and letters that the dossier's authors alleged were sent to Muslims in Denmark, which they claimed were indicative of the rejection of Muslims by the Danish;
3. A televised interview with Dutch member of parliament and Islam critic Hirsi Ali, who had just received the Freedom Prize “for her work to further freedom of speech and the rights of women” from the Danish Liberal Party represented by Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

Appended are multiple clippings from Jyllands-Posten, multiple clippings from Weekendavisen, some clippings from Arabic-language papers, and three additional images. Weekendavisen (literally: The Weekly Newspaper) is a Danish weekly broadsheet newspaper published on Fridays. ... Ayaan Hirsi Ali Ayaan Hirsi Ali (help· info) (born Ayaan Hirsi Magan 13 November 1969 in Mogadishu, Somalia) is a Dutch human rights leader and a member of the Tweede Kamer (the Lower House of the Netherlands) for the VVD. She is a prominent and often controversial author, film maker... Venstre (in Danish literally: Left) is in electoral size the largest political party in Denmark, ideologically based on free market Liberalism, now a right-of-centre party. ...

Pig-face - This picture of a French pig-squealing contestant, taken from the imams' dossier, was later identified as an old Associated Press picture with no reference to Islam.

The group of imams said that the three additional images were sent anonymously by mail to Muslims, who were participating in an online debate on Jyllands-posten.^[38] On February 1 BBC World incorrectly reported that one of them had been published in Jyllands-Posten. ^[39] This image was later found to be a wire-service photo of a contestant at a French pig-squealing contest ^[40] (the original wire service article can be seen here ^[41]), 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 reportedly circulated by Danish Muslims to illustrate the atmosphere of Islamophobia, which they lived under^[42]. One of the other two additional images (a photo) portrayed a Muslim being mounted by a dog while praying (pigs and dogs are considered unclean animals (Haraam) in Islam), and the other (a cartoon) portrayed Muhammad as a demonic pedophile (a likely reference to the Aisha controversy). Image File history File linksMetadata Pig_person. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Pig_person. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... BBC World is the British Broadcasting Corporations 24-hour international current affairs TV channel with BBC News, documentaries, lifestyle programmes and interviews, and was launched in January 1995. ... Haraam (harām) (Arabic: حرام ) is an Arabic word, used in Islam to refer to anything that is prohibited by the faith. ... Aisha, Ayesha, Aisha, or Aisha (Arabic عائشة `āisha, she who lives) was a wife of Muhammad, whom Muslims regard as the final prophet of Islam. ...

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:^[43] The dossier contains statements such as:

• We urge you [recipient of the letter or dossier] 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 [recipient of the letter or dossier] 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.

It also contains misinformation such as:

• 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 [the Danes] 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 [the publication of the 12 cartoons] 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 conciliatory range and are generally free of misinformation, while the later letters use a more urgent language. The dossier appears to have been assembled and added to until some point after 8 December 2005, with the first lobbying visits to Egypt having taken place before finalization. December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The inclusion in the dossier of the cartoons from Weekendavisen was perhaps not due as much to willful misinformation as possibly a misunderstanding. They were more likely parodies on the pompousness of Jylland-Posten's cartoons than cartoons of the prophet in their own right^[44], and consist of reproductions of works such as the Mona Lisa (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; an obvious parody of the Da Vinci Code), or Composition VIII by Russian abstract artist Kandinsky (caption: Bellowing Prophet by a Forest Lake; a pun on "Bellowing Deer by a Forest Lake", an image associated with very poor taste.) Mona Lisa, or La Gioconda, is a 16th Century oil painting on poplar wood by Leonardo da Vinci and is one of the most famous paintings in Western art history; few other works of art are as romanticized, celebrated, or reproduced. ... The Da Vinci Code book cover The Da Vinci Code is a novel written by American author Dan Brown and published in 2003 by Doubleday Fiction (ISBN 0385504209). ... On White II (Kandinsky 1923) Wassily Kandinsky (Russian: Василий Кандинский, first name sometimes spelled as Vasily, Vassily or Vasilii) (December 16, 1866 - December 13, 1944) was a Russian-born painter and art theorist. ...

At a 6 December 2005 summit of the OIC, with many heads of state in attendance, the dossier was handed around on the sidelines first^[45], and eventually an official communique was issued.^[6] December 6 is the 340th day (341st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The flag of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is an inter-governmental organization with a Permanent Delegation to the United Nations. ...

Reprinting in other newspapers

El Fagr's Headline Page for October 17, 2005 - One of the controversial cartoons of Muhammad, as it appeared on the first page of the Egyptian newspaper El Fagr.

Further information: List of newspapers that reprinted Jyllands-Posten's Muhammad cartoons, and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]], and [[]]

Map shows a colored matrix of republication and violence

In 2005, the Muhammad cartoons controversy received only minor media attention outside of Denmark. Six of the cartoons were reprinted by the Egyptian newspaper El Fagr on October 17, 2005^[46][47][48] 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 the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia, Belgium and France. Very soon after, as protests grew, there were further re-publications around the globe, but mostly in continental Europe. Image File history File linksMetadata Page-1-of-El-Fagr. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Page-1-of-El-Fagr. ... October 17 is the 290th (in leap years the 291st) day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... El Fagr is an Egyptian newspaper, based in Cairo. ... This is a list of newspapers that have reprinted the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons or printed new cartoons depicting Muhammad in response to the controversy. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1357x628, 43 KB)Image based on data prior to February 20, 2006. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1357x628, 43 KB)Image based on data prior to February 20, 2006. ... El Fagr is an Egyptian newspaper, based in Cairo. ... October 17 is the 290th (in leap years the 291st) day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the continent. ... See also the Nordic countries. ...

Notable by their absence were re-publications from major newspapers in the USA^[49] and the United Kingdom,^[50] where editorials covered the story, but generally took a stance against re-publication of the Muhammad cartoons.

Several editors were fired for their decision, or even their intention,^[51][52] to re-publish the cartoons (most prominently Jacques Lefranc, managing director of France Soir, owned by Egyptian businessman Raymond Lakah). Some were stopped by their publishers^[53][54] or the courts.^[55] France Soir (France Evening) is a French daily newspaper which was originally founded as the underground paper Défense de la France (Defense of France) in November 1944 by Pierre Lazareff, and renamed France Soir after World War II. France Soir prospered during the 1950s, and became the top-selling... Raymond Lakah is the owner of the French newspaper France Soir. ...

Three of the cartoons were reprinted in the Jordanian weekly newspaper al-Shihan.^[56] 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.^[57] 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.^[58] Al-Shihan is a Jordanian newspaper that recently published the Muhammed drawings. ...

Al-Hurreya newspaper in Yemen was closed down after publishing some of the cartoons. The owner and editor of the paper, Abdul-Karim Sabra was arrested.^[59]

In Malaysia, Lester Melanyi, an editor of the Sarawak Tribune resigned from his post for allowing the reprinting of a cartoon. In East Malaysia non-Muslims are a majority in the otherwise predominantly Muslim state. The chief editor was summoned to the Internal Security Ministry.^[60] The Malaysian government has also shut down the newspaper indefinitely.^[61] Malaysia's third-largest Chinese-language daily, Guang Ming, was suspended from publication of its evening edition for carrying one of the cartoons in its February 3 edition. The suspension ran for two weeks from February 16 to March 1, 2006.^[62] The TV3 television station which aired some of the cartoons, however, has not been suspended.^[63] The Sarawak Tribune is a Malaysian newspaper that has been published in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia since 1945. ... East Malaysia consists of the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak which are located on the island of Borneo, to the east across the South China Sea from West Malaysia. ... Guang Ming Daily (Chinese : 光明日報) was previously known as Sin Pin Daily (Chinese : 星檳日報), Sin Pin Daily was founded by the Aw brothers which have also started Sin Chew Daily. ... February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... http://en. ... A television station is a type of broadcast station that broadcasts both audio and video to television receivers in a particular area. ...

Yemen detained three journalists on February 12, 2006 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".^{[64] [65]} February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Yemen Observer is an independent English language weekly newspaper published in the Republic of Yemen, founded by Faris Sanabani in 1996. ...

On February 12, 2006, Algeria closed two newspapers and arrested their editors for printing the images of the cartoons of the prophet. Kahel Bousaad and Berkane Bouderbala, the respective editors of 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.^{[66] [67]} February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On February 4, 2006, the Cardiff University student newspaper Gair Rhydd (which is Welsh for free word) became the first organ in the United Kingdom to publish the images. The day after after publication, the decision was taken to pulp the edition and only approximately 200 copies were actually distributed. The editor along with two journalists were suspended for the decision to publish. Gair Rhydd resumed publication on 13 February 2006, with an apology.^[68] February 4 is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cardiff University (Welsh: Prifysgol Caerdydd) is a university in Cardiff. ... A student newspaper is a newspaper run by university or high or middle school students that covers local and in particular school or university news. ... gair rhydd (free word in Welsh) is the official student newspaper of Cardiff University. ... Welsh redirects here, and this article describes the Welsh language. ... A public demonstration Freedom of speech is often regarded as an integral concept in modern liberal democracies, where it is understood to outlaw censorship. ... February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Danish Imams under investigation

A French TV documentary crew secretly filmed^[69] Ahmed Akkari, spokesman for the group of Danish Imams that toured the Middle East, in conversation with Sheikh Raed Hlayhel (head of the delegation), threatening to have Naser Khader -- a founder of Denmark's Democratic Muslims network and a member of the Danish parliament -- bombed. Akkari initially denied the remarks, then said he was only joking. Police have started an investigation.^[70] The same journalists also secretly filmed Ahmad Abu Laban, the most prominent of the Danish Imams involved in the controversy, talking about a man who wants "to wreak absolute havoc" and "wants to join the fray and turn it into a Martyr operation right now".^{[71] [72]} Police will investigate Abu Laban when he returns from Bahrein, where he attends an Islamic conference on the cartoon controversy.^[73] A Danish imam who became famous for his involvement [1] in the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy. ... Naser Khader Naser Khader (born July 1, 1963 in Damascus, Syria) is a member of the Parliament of Denmark for Radikale Venstre. ... Ahmad Abu Laban Ahmad Abu Laban (Arabic: أحمد أبو لبن) (born 1946, Jaffa, Palestine) is the leader of the organisation called the Islamic Society in Denmark. ... A suicide attack is an attack in which the attacker or attackers intend and expect to die (see suicide). ... The Kingdom of Bahrain, or Bahrain, is a borderless country in the Persian Gulf (Southwest Asia/Middle East, Asia). ...

Conflicting traditions

Danish journalistic tradition

Freedom of speech in Denmark was obtained in a new constitution with democracy in 1849 and parliamentarism in 1901 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 German occupation of Denmark during World War II. A public demonstration Freedom of speech is often regarded as an integral concept in modern liberal democracies, where it is understood to outlaw censorship. ... A parliamentary system, or parliamentarism, is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ... Headquarters of the Schalburgkorps, a Danish SS unit, after 1943. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others. ...

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.”^[74]

Under international law, freedom of expression in Denmark is also protected by among others the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, also known as the European Convention on Human Rights, was adopted under the auspices of the Council of Europe in 1950 to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. ... The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a United Nations treaty based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, created in 1966. ...

The Danish freedom of expression is quite far-reaching, even by Western standards. Despite official German protests, Denmark has long been a safe haven for printing of neo-nazi propaganda. It has also been accused by Russia for "solidarity with terrorists" after hosting a Chechen congress. ^[75] The organization Reporters Without Borders ranks Denmark at the top of its Worldwide Press Freedom Index for 2005 [1]. The terms Neo-Nazism and Neo-Fascism refer to any social or political movement to revive Nazism or Fascism, respectively, and postdates the Second World War. ... Capital Grozny Area - total - % water Ranked 80th - 15,300 km² - negligible Population - Total - Density Ranked 49th - est. ... Reporters Without Borders, or RWB (French: Reporters sans frontières, Spanish: Reporteros Sin Fronteras, or RSF) is an international non-governmental organization interested in issues relating to freedom of the press. ...

Jesus and other religious figures are often portrayed in Denmark in ways that many other societies would consider illegal blasphemy. In 1984 the artist Jens Jørgen Thorsen 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.^[76] In 1992 Thorsen directed the film Jesus vender tilbage which showed Jesus as sexually active and involved with a terrorist group.^[77][78] Although Thorsen’s work provoked much public debate and his painting was removed from the public building, he was not charged with any legal offence. While Jyllands-Posten has published satirical cartoons depicting Christian figures [2], it did, in 2003, reject unsolicited cartoons about Jesus^[79], opening them to accusations of a double standard. Jesus (8-2 BC/BCE – 29-36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus the Nazarene, is the central figure of Christianity, in which context he is known as Jesus Christ, where Christ is a Greek title meaning Anointed, corresponding to the Hebrew term Messiah. The... Jens Jørgen Thorsen (February 2, 1932 Copenhagen - November 15, 2000) was a Danish painter. ... Jyllands-Posten (The Jutland Post), full name: (help· info) , is Denmarks largest-selling daily newspaper. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

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.^[80] Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II (Margrethe Alexandrine Þorhildur Ingrid), styled HM The Queen (born April 16, 1940), is the Queen regnant and head of state of Denmark. ...

Islamic traditions involving Muhammad and aniconism

Prohibition on Insulting Muhammad

Throughout the history of Muslim societies, to insult the Islamic prophet Muhammad has been seen as one of the most serious crimes anyone could commit. In many cases, such as those of the Martyrs of Cordoba, this led to the Death penalty. Some interpretations of the Shariat, in particular the Salafi (Non-Maddhab), follow that any insult to Muhammad warrants death [3]. Most Maddhabs view insulting the prophet (known as the Rasul Allah, or Messenger of God) as insulting the message he brought (i.e., the religion of Islam) and those who adhere to it (i.e., all Muslims). When even pronouncing the name Muhammad, Muslims typically follow this with "Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam" (abbreviated in written form to SAW), or "Peace be upon him" (abbrev. to PBUH). For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... // Historical Background In 711 CE, a Moorish army from North Africa invaded Visigoth Christian Spain. ... Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, is the judicially ordered execution of a prisoner as a punishment for a serious crime, often called a capital offense or a capital crime. ... Sharia (Arabic شريعة also Sharia, Shariah or Syariah) is traditional Islamic law. ... Madhhab(مذهب) (Madhahib, pl) is an Islamic term that refers to a school of thought or religious jurisprudence (fiqh) within Sunni Islam. ... Peace be upon him (Arabic: صلى الله عليه وسلم; salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, also transliterated as sallalahu aleyhi wasallam) is a phrase that Muslims often say after mentioning the name of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. ...

Aniconistic traditions

Miniature of Muhammad re-dedicating the Black Stone at the Kaaba. From Jami Al-Tawarikh ("The Universal History" written by Rashid Al-Din), a manuscript in the Library of the University of Edinburgh; illustrated in Tabriz, Persia, c. 1315 during the rule of the Sunni Arab Muzaffarid dynasty.

The Qur'an, Islam's holiest book, condemns idolatry, but has no direct condemnations of pictorial art. Direct prohibitions of pictorial art are found in certain hadiths, e.g. "Ibn ‘Umar reported Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) having said: Those who paint pictures would be punished on the Day of Resurrection and it would be said to them: Breathe soul into what you have created." (Sahih Muslim, Book 24 Verse 5268)^[81]. Certain hadiths suggest an exception for "prints on the cloth" (Sahih Muslim, Book 24 Verse 5252)^[82]. Other hadiths suggest this prohibition may apply only to "statues" (Sahih Muslim, Book 24 Verse 5250)^[83]. Image File history File linksMetadata Muhammad_2. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Muhammad_2. ... The Black Stone The Black Stone (called الحجر الأسود al-Hajar-ul-Aswad in Arabic) is a holy relic in Islam. ... The Kaaba (Kaˤabat), Arabic: الكعبة, Persian: کعبه, or al-Kaˤabatu l-Musharrafat : الكعبة المشرًّفة, also al-Baytu l-ˤAtÄ«q (Arabic: البيت العتيق ) and al-Baytu l-Ħarām The Sacred House (Arabic: البيت الحرام ), is a building located inside the mosque known as al-Masjidu l-Ħarām The Sacred Mosque in Mecca (Makka). ... Rashid al-Din Tabib also Rashid ad-Din Fadhlullah Hamadani (1247 - 1318), was a Persian Doctor and writer and historian. ... The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a renowned centre for teaching and research in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... Tabriz City Hall, built in 1895, by Arfaol molk, with the aid of German engineers. ... The term Persian Empire refers to a series of historical empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau. ... Look up Circa on Wiktionary, the free dictionary The Latin word circa, literally meaning about, is often used to describe various dates (often birth and death dates) that are uncertain. ... Events August 13 - Louis X of France marries Clemence dAnjou. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Muzaffarids were a Sunni Arab family that came to power in Iran following the breakup of the Ilkhanate in the 14th century. ... EXPAND! This article is presently restricted to a limited number of aniconism cases in human cultures and lacks a general discussion of the phenomenon. ... Depictions of Muhammad, the Islamic prophet, can be a contentious matter. ... The Qurān (Arabic: recitation) from Syriac qeryānā lectionary, also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly as Alcoran, is the holy book of Islam. ... Holiness is the state of being holy, that is, set apart for the worship or service of God or gods. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... Hadith (Arabic: , Arabic pl. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... It has been suggested that Resurrection of the dead be merged into this article or section. ... The soul, according to many religious and philosophical traditions, is a self aware ethereal substance particular to a unique living being. ... Sahih is a Islamic term that means authentic. ...

Views regarding pictorial representations within Muslim communities have varied from group to group, and from time to time. The Shi'a Muslims have been generally tolerant of pictorial representations of human figures including the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Indeed, a fatwa exists given by Ali al-Sistani, the Shi'a marja of Iraq, stating that it is permissible to make pictures of Muhammad, if done with the highest respect.^[84] Contemporary Sunni Muslims, who represent anywhere from 85 to 90% of the world's Muslim community^[85], generally consider any pictorial representation of Muhammad forbidden.^[86]. However, during the Ottoman Empire Sunni Ottomans were open to pictorial representations and even patronized miniaturist art, some of which depicted Muhammad. These depictions 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.^[87][88][89] Shia Islam ( Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite or Shiite) is the second largest Islamic denomination; some 20-25% of all Muslims are said to follow a Shia tradition. ... A fatwa (Arabic: ) plural fatāwa (فتاوى), is a legal pronouncement in Islam, issued by a religious law specialist on a specific issue. ... His Honourarable Eminence Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Husaini Sistani (Arabic: السيد علي الحسيني السيستاني Persian: سید علی حسینی سیستانی), born approximately August 4, 1930, is a Grand Ayatollah, a Shia marja and currently an important person in relation to the occupation of Iraq. ... A marja, or marja-e-taqleed (Arabic and persian مرجع تقليد), literally source of imitation or source of tradition, is the second highest authority on religion and law in Shia Islam after the prophet and (Shia) Imams. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Imperial motto (Ottoman Turkish) Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (the Eternal State) The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power (1683) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Sogut (1299-1326), Bursa (1326-1365), Edirne (1365-1453), Ä°stanbul (1453-1922) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanlı Dynasty... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

A few contemporary interpretations of Islam, such as certain adherants to branches of Wahhabism and Salafism, are aniconistic and condemn pictorial representations of any kind. The Taliban, while in power in Afghanistan, banned television, photographs and images in newspapers and also destroyed paintings including frescoes found in the vicinity of the Buddhas of Bamiyan^[90]. Some Salafis (e.g., the House of Saud), approve of pictoral representations (though not of Muhammad). Wahhabism (Arabic: الوهابية, Wahabism, Wahabbism) is a Sunni fundamentalist Islamic movement, named after Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab (1703–1792). ... A Salafi (Arabic سلفي lit. ... EXPAND! This article is presently restricted to a limited number of aniconism cases in human cultures and lacks a general discussion of the phenomenon. ... Flag flown by the Taliban. ... Fresco by Dionisius representing Saint Nicholas. ... One of the Buddhas of Bamiyan before complete destruction, Afghanistan The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km (143 miles) northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters (8... The House of Saud (آل سعود) is the royal family of Saudi Arabia. ...

The (Wahhabi) Council of American-Islamic Relation states in a press release:^[91] The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is an organization whose stated goal is to promote a positive image of Islam in America. ...

Islam forbids visual depictions of the prophet and regards violations by Muslims as highly sinful and by non-Muslims as the ultimate insult.

The prohibition is in part an application of the Quran's strict opposition to idolatry, the worship of a physical object as a god, including any hint of such devotion toward the faith's revered human prophet.

Other Muslims however, have explained their anti-cartoon stance as not so much against pictures, but against disrespectful pictures. According to the BBC: The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the publicly-funded radio and television broadcasting corporation of the United Kingdom (see British television). ...

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.^[92]

International reactions

"To our dear customers: As a result of mockery towards The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), Al Tamimi Markets announces its boycott of all kinds of Danish Products"

Main article: 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, to let their stances be known. Image File history File links Dm_product. ... Image File history File links Dm_product. ... Al Tamimi is one of the largest supermarket chains in Saudi Arabia, if not the largest. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require restructuring. ...

Economic and human costs

Main articles:

• Economic and human costs of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
• Anti-Denmark Boycott
• Support Denmark Movement

As of March 2, 2006, at least 139 people have been killed in the protests. ^[93] Deaths have been mainly in Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Human costs Andrea Santoro, an Italian Catholic priest, was killed on February 5, 2006 in Trabzon, Turkey. ... The Anti-Denmark Boycott is an on-going boycott of Danish goods and services following the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy, and the Danish Governments response. ... An example of one of the banners being posted across the web to encourage support for Danish goods. ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Opinions

Main article: Opinions on the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy

// Opinions in Denmark A poll on January 29, from Epinion for Danmarks Radio, the national broadcasting company of Denmark, showed that of 579 Danes asked, 79% believe that the Prime Minister of Denmark should not apologize to the Muslims, with 48% citing that would be political interference with the freedom...

Comparable references

Numerous comparisons have been offered in public discussions comparing earlier controversies over propriety of speech and art with the recent controversy surrounding the Jyllands-Posten cartoons. Some examples include:

Main article: Freedom of speech versus blasphemy

• The Satanic Verses (novel, 1988, 2006, ^[94] Global)
• The Life of Jesus (book, 2005, Greece)
• Jerry Springer - The Opera (musical, 2005, Britain)
• The Last Supper (billboard based on Leonardo da Vinci painting, 2005, Italy, France) ^[95]
• Submission (short film, 2004, Netherlands)
• Snow White and The Madness of Truth (installation, 2004, Sweden)
• Bloody Mary (tv, 2000s, United States, New Zealand, and Australia)
• Ecce Homo (exhibition, 2000, Europe)
• Sensation (exhibition, 1999, London and New York)
• Great Lawgivers (frieze, 1997, Washington D.C.)
• Tatiana Soskin (drawing, 1997, Israel)
• Taslima Nasrin (newspaper, 1994, Bangladesh)
• Piss Christ (photo, 1989, United States)
• The Last Temptation of Christ (film, 1988, United States and Europe)
• Life of Brian (film, 1979, United States and Europe)
• Mohammad, Messenger of God (film, 1977, United States, Libya, UK and Lebanon)
• Anti-Semitic Cartoons^[96]

Freedom of speech versus blasphemy represents the tension which exists between political freedom, particularly freedom of speech, and certain examples of art, literature, speech or other acts which some consider to be sacrilegious or blasphemous. ... The Satanic Verses cover The Satanic Verses is Salman Rushdies fourth novel, first published in 1988 and inspired in part by the life of Muhammad. ... Gerhard Haderer (born 1951, Leonding, Austria) is an Austrian cartoonist and caricturist. ... David Soul stars as Jerry Springer Jerry Springer – The Opera is a musical written by Stewart Lee and Richard Thomas, based on the television show The Jerry Springer Show. ... Submission is a 10-minute film directed by Theo van Gogh and written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Liberal party member of the Lower House of the Netherlands Parliament. ... Snow White and The Madness of Truth (Swedish: Snövit och sanningens vansinne) was an item of installation art by Swedish (but Israeli-born) composer/musician Dror Feiler and his Swedish wife, artist Gunilla Sköld-Feiler. ... Bloody Mary is episode 914 of the Comedy Central series South Park. ... Ecce Homo photo depicting the Last Supper Ecce Homo was a controversial exhibition of 12 photographs taken by the Swedish photographer Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin. ... Sensation was a notorious exhibition of Young British Artists which took place in 1997 (18 September-28 December) at the Royal Academy of Art in London and later toured to Berlin and New York. ... The Supreme Court building is the seat of the Supreme Court of the United States. ... A immgrant from Russia,She is a person of the jewish faith,While in israel in the town of hebron,she was arrested and put in a mental illiness center for a drawing ... Taslima Nasrin Taslima Nasrin (Bangla: তসলিমা নাসরিন), also known as Taslima Nasreen, (born 25 August 1962 in Mymensingh, Bangladesh) is a Bengali Bangladeshi physician, writer, radical feminist, human rights activist and secular humanist. ... Piss Christ Piss Christ is a controversial photograph by American photographer Andres Serrano. ... The Last Temptation of Christ, also published as The Last Temptation, is a novel written by Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1951. ... Life of Brian is a 1979 film by Monty Python which deals with the life of Brian Cohen (played by Graham Chapman), a young man born nearly the same time as, and right down the street from, Jesus. ... Mohammad, Messenger of God (retitled The Message for U.S. release) (1976) is a film directed by Mustafa Akkad, chronicling the life and times of the founder of Islam, Muhammad. ... Graffiti on a Jewish gravestone in Aldershot, England in January 2005 The term new anti-Semitism refers to the perceived contemporary international resurgence of anti-Jewish incidents and attacks on Jewish symbols, as well as the acceptance of anti-Semitic beliefs and their expression in public discourse. ...

See also

• Censorship by organized religion
• Clash of Civilizations
• Dialogue Among Civilizations
• Controversial newspaper caricatures
• Freedom of the press
• Freedom of speech and freedom of the press in Denmark
• Freedom of speech versus blasphemy
• Hamshahri
• Islam in Denmark
• Separation of church and state
• UK Islamist demonstration outside the Danish Embassy
• Internet Censorship in Pakistan
• Rakyat Merdeka dingo cartoon controversy

This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Cover of The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order The Clash of Civilizations is a controversial theory in international relations popularized by Samuel P. Huntington. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... There are several incidents involving controversial caricatures in the press media. ... Freedom of the press (or press freedom) is the guarantee by a government of free public press for its citizens and their associations, extended to members of news gathering organizations, and their published reporting. ... In Denmark the freedom of speech and freedom of the press are ensured by § 77 of the constitution[1]: The phrase under responsibility to the courts provides the main concept of the freedom: the constitution grants you the freedom to say whatever you please, but does not protect you from... Freedom of speech versus blasphemy represents the tension which exists between political freedom, particularly freedom of speech, and certain examples of art, literature, speech or other acts which some consider to be sacrilegious or blasphemous. ... Hamshahri (Persian: همشهری) is an Iranian newspaper published by the Municipality of Tehran, and founded by Gholamhossein Karbaschi. ... Approximately 2%[1] - 5%[2] of the of population of Denmark is Muslim. ... The separation of church and state is a political doctrine which states that the institutions of the state or national government should be kept separate from those of religious institutions. ... An Islamist demonstration was held outside the Danish Embassy in the United Kingdom in response to the publication of editorial cartoons depicting the Islamic religious figure, prophet Muhammad that were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005. ... History and Law The Government of Pakistan some years back established the Pakistan Internet Exchange, or PIE, as a means to monitor all incoming and outgoing Internet traffic from Pakistan. ...

External links

Official correspondence

• The letter to the Prime Minister from the Muslim ambassadors PDF
• The response to the letters from the ambassadors PDF
• First open letter in Arabic to the Muslims of Saudi Arabia from Jyllands-Posten PDF
• Second open letter to the Muslims of Saudi Arabia from Jyllands-Posten
  • In Arabic PDF
  • In English
• Photocopies of the Imams' dossier
• The Danish Foreign ministry, rebutting rumours that were spread via SMS and word-of-mouth
• The Danish Director of Public Prosecutions: Decision on possible criminal proceedings in the case of Jyllands-Posten's article PDF

Image File history File links Noia_64_mimetypes_pdf. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Image File history File links Noia_64_mimetypes_pdf. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Image File history File links Noia_64_mimetypes_pdf. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Image File history File links Noia_64_mimetypes_pdf. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Image File history File links Noia_64_mimetypes_pdf. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Islamic views

• Imran Anwar - Let's Make New Cartoons Of The Prophet
• Amr khaled - A message to the World
• IUMS Statement on Publishing Anti-Prophet Cartoons
• Danish cartoons and sacred imagery
• Drawings Against Drawings
• A Danish Trojan Horse: Law and the Muhammad Cartoons, JURIST
• Amr khaled - A message to the World
• Respect islam and other religions movement

A jurist is a professional who studies, develops, applies or otherwise deals with the law. ...

News articles

• BBC, Q&A Depicting the Prophet Muhammad
• The Guardian special reports: cartoon protests
• World press review by BBC Monitoring
• New York Times: At Mecca Meeting, Cartoon Outrage Crystallized
• BBC Viewpoints
• Economist: The limits to free speech

Video

• London demonstration in front of the Danish embassy 3 Feb 2006
• Protesters Burn European Embassies, Consulates, Churches in Damascus and Beirut February 4-5 2006
• Interview with American Muslim Hamza Yusuf on Danish news show Deadline

Images

• The page of Jylland-Posten that contains Muhammad cartoons
• Listing of the Muhammad drawings and responses to the controversy
• All the Mohammed drawings in full size
• Enlargeable images link
• Mohammed Image Archive
• Picture series - Burning of the Danish embassy in Syria
• News service photos of protesters worldwide
• Caricatures of Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, published by the Danish newspaper Information
• The 12 Jyllands-Posten images and response in cartoons by the Arab-European League, published on Annoy.com
• More editorial cartoons, including some depicting Muhammed, mainly in response to the protests of the original drawings
• Picture series and editorial cartoon responses in a humorous format
• Animated cartoon satirizing Muslim reactions

Reconciliation

• SorryNorwayDenmark Muslim groups petition for reconciliation
• It is Enough Now Letter for reconciliation in Arabic, Danish and English
• Forsoning nu! Danish petition for reconciliation
• A letter from Another Denmark Another Danish petition for reconciliation

Other Sources

• Cartoon Body Count: Death by Drawing An independent website tallying the total casualty count as a result of the controversy (based on verified news sources).
• JFK Jr. Forum cartoons controversy discussion at Harvard University by Shahab Ahmed, Jocelyne Cesari, Father J. Bryan Hehir, Dr. Joseph S. Nye Jr. (RealPlayer stream)
• Complexity and Social Networks Blog at Harvard University applies Social Network Theory
• The Mohammed-Cartoon Controversy, Israel, and the Jews: A Case Study by Manfred Gerstenfeld of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs

Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ... Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ... Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs was founded in 1976 by Professor Daniel J. Elazar, as an independent, non-profit institute for policy research and education serving Israel and the Jewish people. ...

References