Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy

The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after editorial cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on September 30, 2005. Danish Muslim organizations held public protests in response and spread knowledge of Jyllands-Posten's publication. As the controversy grew, some or all of the cartoons were reprinted in newspapers in more than fifty other countries, which led to violent protests, particularly in the Muslim world.

Critics of the cartoons argue that they are islamophobic, blasphemous, intended to humiliate a marginalized Danish minority, and are another episode in the history of western imperialism, from colonialism to the conflicts in the Middle East. Supporters of the cartoons claim they illustrate an important issue regarding self-censorship in the age of Islamic extremist terrorism and their publication exercises the right of free speech. They also claim that similar cartoons about other religions are frequently printed, arguing that Islam and its followers have not been targeted in a discriminatory way.

Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has described the controversy as Denmark's worst international crisis since World War II.

Overview

Flemming Rose, the cultural editor of the conservative daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten, contacted 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 the Qur'an and 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 entries from different cartoonists and published them alongside an article on self-censorship and freedom of speech.

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.

A group of Danish Imams lobbied decision-makers in the Middle East. A consumer boycott was organised in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other Middle East countries. Rumours spread via SMS and word-of-mouth. The foreign ministers of seventeen Islamic countries renewed calls for the Danish government to punish those responsible for the cartoons. The Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League demanded that the United Nations impose international sanctions upon Denmark and EU introduce blasphemy laws. For weeks, numerous protests against the cartoons have taken place worldwide. On February 4 2006, the Danish and Norwegian embassies in Syria were set ablaze, although no one was hurt. In Beirut, the Danish Embassy was set on fire, leaving one protester dead. Altogether, at least 139 people were killed in protests, mainly in Nigeria, Libya, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Several death threats and reward offers for murdering those responsible for the cartoons have been made, resulting in the cartoonists going into hiding.

Four ministers have resigned amidst the controversy, among them Roberto Calderoli and Laila Freivalds.

Descriptions of the drawings

Main article: Descriptions of the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons

Some of the cartoons can be difficult to understand for those without knowledge of certain Danish language metaphors or awareness of individuals of note to the Danish public. As well there are cartoon captions written in Danish. Detailed descriptions of the cartoons and translations of the captions as well as explanations concerning Danish cultural references are provided here.

Timeline

Main article: 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" ("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 (English: The Qur'an and the life of the Prophet Muhammad ISBN 87-638-0049-7). Three artists declined Bluitgen's proposal before an artist agreed to assist anonymously. According to Bluitgen:

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.

In October 2004, a lecturer at the Niebuhr institute at the University of Copenhagen was assaulted by five assailants who opposed his reading the Qur'an to non-Muslims during a lecture.

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, 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 September 30 2005, the daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten ("The Jutland Post") published an article titled "Muhammeds ansigt" ("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:

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. [...]

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. 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.

On February 19, Rose explained his intent further In the Washington Post.

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.

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.

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. The second letter, dated 30 January 2006, also has an English version.:

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, the cartoonist who had drawn the bomb in turban picture, the most controversial of the twelve, explained:

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. [...] 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.

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 and statements by MP Louise Frevert and the Minister of Culture Brian Mikkelsen. 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".

The government answered the ambassadors' request for a meeting with Rasmussen with a letter only: "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."

The ambassadors maintained that they had never asked for Jyllands-Posten to 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". . Rasmussen replied: "Even a non-judicial intervention against Jyllands-Posten would be impossible within our system".

The Egypt Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aboul Gheit, wrote several letters to the Prime Minister of Denmark and to the secretary general of the UN 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". Subsequently, Egypt played a leading role in diffusing the issue in the Middle East.

The refusal to meet the ambassadors has been criticized by the opposition, 22 Danish ex-ambassadors, and ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Uffe Ellemann-Jensen.

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.

• Section 140 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. 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, but found not guilty.

• Section 266b 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.

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. In a new hearing, the Director of Public Prosecutors in Denmark agreed.

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".

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.

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., and were circulated to illustrate the atmosphere of Islamophobia they lived in. On February 1 BBC World incorrectly reported that one of them had been published in Jyllands-Posten. This image was later found to be a wire-service photo of a contestant at a French pig-squealing contest . One of the other two additional images (a photo) portrayed a Muslim being mounted by a dog while praying, and the other (a cartoon) portrayed Muhammad as a demonic pedophile.

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: 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

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.

and statements such as:

• We [Muslims] do not need lessons in democracy, but it is actually us, who through our deeds and speeches educate the whole world in democracy.
• This [Europe's] dictatorial way of using democracy is completely unacceptable.

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, 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.

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, and eventually an official communiqué was issued.

Reprinting in other newspapers

El Fagr's headline page - October 17, 2005 - A Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoon, on the headline page of Egyptian newspaper El Fagr.

Further information: 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 El Fagr on October 17, 2005 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.

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

Several newspapers were closed and editors fired or arrested for their decision or intention to re-publish the cartoons.

Danish Imams under investigation

The French/Algerian jounalist Mohammed Sifaoui secretly filmed 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 MP Naser Khader bombed. Akkari initially denied the remarks, then said he was only joking. Ahmad Abu Laban was filmed 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". Both men were investigated, but no charges were brought.

Conflicting traditions

Danish journalistic tradition

Freedom of speech was obtained in a new constitution with democracy in 1849 and parliamentarism in 1901. 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.

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.”

Under international law, freedom of expression is also protected by the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Danish newspapers are privately owned and independent from the government. 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. The organization Reporters Without Borders ranks Denmark at the top of its Worldwide Press Freedom Index for 2005.

Jesus and other religious figures are often portrayed in Denmark in ways that many other societies would consider illegal blasphemy.

While Jyllands-Posten has published satirical cartoons depicting Christian figures [1], it did, in 2003, reject unsolicited cartoons depicting Jesus, opening them to accusations of a double standard.

Jyllands-Posten has also refused to publish Holocaust denial cartoons offered by an Iranian newspaper.

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 Córdoba, this led to the death penalty. Some interpretations of the Shariat, in particular the Salafi, follow that any insult to Muhammad warrants death. Most Maddhabs view insulting the prophet as insulting Islam itself and those who adhere to it.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations states in a press release:

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 News:

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.

Aniconistic traditions

Main article: [[:Aniconism and Depictions of Muhammad]]

The Qur'an condemns idolatry, but has no direct prohibitions of pictorial art. These are found in hadiths: "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." Other hadiths qualify this prohibition somewhat

Views regarding pictorial representations within Muslim communities have varied. Shi'a Islam has been generally tolerant of pictorial representations of human figures, including Muhammad. A fatwa by Ali al-Sistani, the Shi'a marja of Iraq, states that it is permissible to make pictures of Muhammad, if done with the highest respect. Contemporary Sunni Islam, which represents 85-90% of the world's Muslims, generally forbids any pictorial representation of Muhammad. 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.

A few contemporary interpretations of Islam, such as some adherents 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 destroyed paintings including frescoes in the vicinity of the Buddhas of Bamiyan.

International reactions

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 book about Islam called Koranen og profeten Muhammeds liv (English: The Qur'an and the life of the Prophet Muhammad ISBN 87-638-0049-7), 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.

Economic and human costs

Map shows a colored matrix of republication and violence

Main articles:

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

Opinions

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

Comparable references

Main article: Freedom of speech versus blasphemy

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:

• The Satanic Verses (novel, 1988, 2006, 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)
• 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

See also

• Censorship by 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
• Islamist Demonstration outside Danish Embassy in London
• Internet censorship in Pakistan
• Rakyat Merdeka dingo cartoon controversy

External links

Primary sources

• The letter to the Prime Minister from the Muslim ambassadors Template:PDFlink
• The response to the letters from the ambassadors Template:PDFlink
• First open letter in Arabic to the Muslims of Saudi Arabia from Jyllands-Posten Template:PDFlink
• Second open letter to the Muslims of Saudi Arabia from Jyllands-Posten
  • In Arabic Template:PDFlink
  • 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 Template:PDFlink

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
• Tolerance on Trial: Why We Reprinted the Danish Cartoons (op-ed by the publisher of the English-language Yemen Observer newspaper), JURIST
• Support Your Prophet A declaration condemning the attack by reporters from Denmark and Norway against the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

Press reviews

• BBC, Q&A Depicting the Prophet Muhammad
• The Guardian special reports: cartoon protests
• World press review by BBC Monitoring
• BBC Viewpoints

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
• BBC HARDtalk: Ahmad Abu Laban and Fleming Rose, 8 February 2006
• 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)

Images

• The page of Jylland-Posten that contains Muhammad cartoons
• 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

Online petitions

• 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
• An online protest against cartoons of Prophet Muhammad A site that condemns the Jyllands Posten cartoons and invites others to protest by submitting their e-mail addresses. As of April 8, 2006 more than 145,000 individuals have entered their addresses.

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).
• Cartoons riots Google Maps mashup A mashup displaying places where protests, riots and fatalities occured during the Mohamed cartoons row