Politiken ends dispute over Mohammed cartoons
The Danish newspaper *Politiken* has reached a settlement with Islamic organizations regarding the publication of a cartoon depicting Muhammad as a terrorist and has apologized for offending Muslims.
Most other Danish newspapers distanced themselves from the liberal paper's action, as did leading politicians. The cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, who narrowly escaped an assassination attempt for his drawing, said that this was a genuflection to the Islamists and a sell-out of freedom of expression.
Politiken had republished the cartoon depicting Mohammed as a terrorist with a bomb in his turban, as did numerous other Danish newspapers, when Westergaard was first threatened with death in 2008. As reported by SDA, the Saudi Arabian lawyer Faisal Yamani then demanded an apology from the Danish media on behalf of eight Islamic organizations from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Libya. He received this from Politiken editor-in-chief Töger Seidenfaden. He explained the agreement with Fasani: "In our country, the debate about Islam is characterized by a lack of dialogue and a lack of understanding for the views of others. We wanted to do something about this".
The first publication of the cartoon in the newspaper Jyllands-Posten at the beginning of 2006, together with eleven other cartoons, led to massive protests in the Islamic world. More than 150 people died as a result.
Politiken had republished the cartoon depicting Mohammed as a terrorist with a bomb in his turban, as did numerous other Danish newspapers, when Westergaard was first threatened with death in 2008. As reported by SDA, the Saudi Arabian lawyer Faisal Yamani then demanded an apology from the Danish media on behalf of eight Islamic organizations from countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Libya. He received this from Politiken editor-in-chief Töger Seidenfaden. He explained the agreement with Fasani: "In our country, the debate about Islam is characterized by a lack of dialogue and a lack of understanding for the views of others. We wanted to do something about this".
The first publication of the cartoon in the newspaper Jyllands-Posten at the beginning of 2006, together with eleven other cartoons, led to massive protests in the Islamic world. More than 150 people died as a result.
