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Kurt Westergaard

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Kurt Westergaard
Born (1935-07-13) 13 July 1935 (age 88)
Døstrup, Denmark
NationalityDanish
EducationTeacher
Psychology
Alma materRanum Seminarium
University of Copenhagen
OccupationCartoonist
Known forJyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy

Kurt Westergaard (born 13 July 1935 as Kurt Vestergaard) is a Danish cartoonist who created the controversial cartoon of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb in his turban. This cartoon was the most contentious of the 12 Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons, which met with strong and sometimes violent reactions from Muslims worldwide. Since the drawing of the cartoon, Westergaard has received several death threats and murder attempts. As a result, he is under constant police protection.[2][3]

Early life and career

Westergaard was born on 13 July 1935 in the village of Døstrup, in the Himmerland area of Jutland.[4] He grew up in a conservative Christian (Inner Mission) environment in Himmerland, going to Sunday school.[5][6] Westergaard was introduced to Cultural Radicalism during high school in the 1950s, which he experienced as an "epiphany" and a liberation from the religious subjugation of his childhood.[6][7]

Westergaard is a trained schoolteacher, educated at Ranum Seminarium. After working as a teacher for some time, he later enrolled at the University of Copenhagen to study psychology.[4] He subsequently worked as a teacher for handicapped children, and has been principal of a school in the Djursland area for the handicapped.[4][5]

Briefly working for the newspaper Demokraten, he has been a cartoonist for Jyllands-Posten since the early 1980s.[5] On employment by Jyllands-Posten, he was told that everything was allowed except "caricatures of God, president Reagan and erotic drawings"[8]

Mohammad cartoon

Muhammed cartoons controversy; including cartoon by Westergaard.

Although Westergaard had been a professional cartoonist for over 20 years, he became known for a single drawing of the Muslim prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb in his turban. It was the most contentious of the 12 Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons.

In a 2009 interview, Westergaard said he was trying to "show that terrorists get their spiritual ammunition from parts of Islam and with this spiritual ammunition, and with dynamite and other explosives, they kill people."[9] He takes issue with the way Danish people have judged his intentions, telling Canadian blogger Jonathan Kay that he has been shunned by many of his former friends: "One of my old friends from the left, he said last year to me 'There are many who say that if something happens to [you], you were asking for it' — that it would be my own fault."

Westergaard has criticised the reaction of immigrant communities in Denmark to his cartoon, stating that "many of the immigrants who came to Denmark, they had nothing. We gave them everything – money, apartments, their own schools, free university, health care. In return, we asked one thing – respect for democratic values, including free speech. Do they agree? This is my simple test."[10]

Following the release of Dutch politician Geert Wilders' film Fitna, which used Westergaard's cartoon without permission, Westergaard made a cartoon depicting Wilders with a bomb and a sign which reads: "Danger! Freedom of expression".[11]

2008 conspiracy and resulting security arrangements

On 12 February 2008, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) announced the arrest of three Muslims — two Tunisians and one Moroccan-born Dane — who were charged with planning to murder Westergaard.[12]

After the plot was foiled, the Danish secret service was made responsible for protecting Westergaard. He was placed under police surveillance when travelling to and from work.[13] His house was fitted with steel doors, a panic room, reinforced glass in the windows and surveillance cameras.[9]

2010 attack

On 1 January 2010, a 28-year-old Somali Muslim intruder armed with an axe and knife entered Westergaard's house and was subsequently shot and wounded by police.[14][15] Westergaard was unharmed due to security precautions in his house. He fled to a panic room when he saw the intruder standing in the hallway wielding an axe.[16] Westergaard was separated from his five-year-old granddaughter who was left sitting in the living room just meters away from the intruder.[13][14][16][17]

The intruder attempted to break down the reinforced door with his axe, shouting phrases like "We will get our revenge!", "Revenge!" and "Blood!"[13][16][18] He failed to get through and was shot in the hand and knee by police officers who arrived on the scene within a few minutes.[16][19] The assailant was arrested, taken into custody and charged with the attempted murders of Westergaard and a police officer.[14][20]

This second attempted murder in two years received extensive coverage in the Danish newspapers. The Sunday edition of Jyllands-Posten included a front-page article about how Westergaard now needs a bodyguard to provide round-the-clock security;[21] a full-page article on the background of the controversy;[22] an interview with Westergaard by Lars Pedersen;[5] a list of quotes showing the "disgust and condemnation" aroused by the attack;[23] an article about the assailant's appearance in a court in Aarhus;[24] two articles about the man himself, who had apparently been living in Denmark for fifteen years and was known to the intelligence services;[25][26] and, in the editorial and in an opinion piece by political commentator Ralf Pittelkow, advocacy of the values Western society is based on, in particular freedom of expression.[27][28]

According to PET intelligence, the suspect is closely linked to the Somali Islamist insurgency group al-Shabaab, commonly considered a terrorist organization, as well as al-Qaeda leaders in East Africa.[18][19][29][30]

The assailant was on the third of February 2011 found guilty of an attempt to perform an act of terrorism and attempted murder, by an unanimous jury. The assailant pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a weapon and breaking and entering, but pleaded not guilty to the other charges. He was sentenced to nine years in prison and will be expelled from Denmark permanently.[31]

Awards

Westergaard has been awarded the Sappho Award, an award given by the Free Press Society in Denmark to a 'journalist who combines excellence in his work with courage and a refusal to compromise'.[32][33]

On 8 September 2010, he was awarded the M100 Media Award (M100-Medienpreis) by German Chancellor Angela Merkel for his contributions to freedom of opinion.[34]

Memoirs

In August 2010, Westergaard revealed to a Dutch journalist that he would publish his memoirs in November, and that the cover of the book would feature his most controversial cartoon. [35] [36] [37] [38]

See also

References

  1. ^ Kimmelman, Michael (20 March 2008). "Outrage at Cartoons Still Tests the Danes". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  2. ^ Protesters Burn European Embassies, Consulates, Churches in Damascus and Beirut 4–5 February 2006
  3. ^ "Cartoon Body Count". Web. 2006-03-02. Archived from the original on 2006-03-26.
  4. ^ a b c Drachmann, Hans (2010-01-03). "Tegneren har vendt frygt til vrede". Politiken (in Danish). p. 2. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ a b c d Pedersen, Lars Nørgaard (3 January 2010). "Det kom virkelig tæt på". Jyllands-Posten Sunday (in Danish). p. 11. Retrieved 3 January 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b Hansen, John; Hundevadt, Kim (2006). Provoen og Profeten: Muhammedkrisen bag kulisserne (in Danish) (1st ed.). p. 16. ISBN 8776920925. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |trans_title= (help)
  7. ^ Nielsen, Line Holm (3 January 2010). "Med Fanden under fødderne". Berlingske Tidende (in Danish). p. 8. Retrieved 5 January 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ Interview with Kurt Westergaard in the Danish newspaper Nordjyske 3 January 2010 [1]
  9. ^ a b Humphreys, Adrian (3 October 2009). "The most hated man in Mecca". National Post. pp. A1, A13. Retrieved 5 October 2009.
  10. ^ Jonathan Kay on Kurt Westergaard, free speech, and leftist refuseniks by Jonathan Kay, National Post, 5 October 2009.
  11. ^ Peters, J. (31 March 2008). "Westergaard tekent Wilders". SpitsNieuws (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 3 April 2008. Retrieved 1 April 2008.
  12. ^ "Danish cartoons 'plotters' held". BBC News. 12 February 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2008.
  13. ^ a b c Sjølie, Marie Louise (5 January 2010). "'I'm not a particularly brave man'". The Guardian. London. pp. G2 section, pp. 12–13. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  14. ^ a b c Beim, Jakob Hvide (28 December 2009). "Westergaard-angriber skal 25 dage i fængsel -"Westergaard-attack, 25 days in jail (translation)". Dagbladet Politiken (in Danish). Retrieved 2 January 2010. Cite error: The named reference "w2" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  15. ^ " Assassination attempt on Mohammed cartoonist"
  16. ^ a b c d Collás, Xavier (3 January 2010). "Encontré a un tipo con un hacha en el pasillo; mi nieta estaba cerca". El Mundo (in Spanish). pp. 1, 25. Retrieved 5 January 2010.
  17. ^ "Kurt Westergaard reddet af sit sikringsrum"
  18. ^ a b "Drabsforsøg på tegneren Kurt Westergaard" (in Danish). Danish Security and Intelligence Service. 2 January 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
  19. ^ Batty, David (2 January 2010). "Somali charged with murder attempt on Muhammad cartoonist". Guardian.co.uk. London. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  20. ^ Westergaard, Morten; Pedersen, Lars Nørgaard (3 January 2010). "JP-tegner får sin egen livvagt". Jyllands-Posten Sunday (in Danish). p. 1. Retrieved 3 January 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ Hansen, John (3 January 2010). "Frygten for den rasende ekstremist". Jyllands-Posten Sunday (in Danish). p. 10. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  22. ^ Unattributed (3 January 2010). "Bred fordømmelse af angrebet". Jyllands-Posten Sunday (in Danish). p. 7.
  23. ^ Nørby, Erik (3 January 2010). "Terrorist til Vestre Fængsel". Jyllands-Posten Sunday (in Danish). p. JP Århus section, pp. 1, 2. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  24. ^ Westergaard, Morten; Pedersen, Lars Nørgaard (3 January 2010). "Somaliske unge er mere radikaliserede end andre indvandrere i Danmark". Jyllands-Posten Sunday (in Danish). pp. 6–7. Retrieved 3 January 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  25. ^ Pedersen, Lars Nørgaard; Nørby, Erik; Westergaard, Morten (3 January 2010). "PET overvågede somalier". Jyllands-Posten Sunday (in Danish). p. 4. Retrieved 3 January 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  26. ^ Unattributed (3 January 2010). "Leder: Kulturkamp". Jyllands-Posten Sunday (in Danish). p. 18. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  27. ^ Pittelkow, Ralf (3 January 2010). "Terror mod ytringsfriheden". Jyllands-Posten Sunday (in Danish). p. 18. Retrieved 3 January 2010.
  28. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12366076
  29. ^ Jyllands Posten, Danish Newspaper
  30. ^ Jyllands Posten, Danish Newspaper
  31. ^ Merkel ehrt Mohammed-Karikaturisten Westergaard - Retrieved on 8 September 2010
  32. ^ "Danish cartoonist to publish memoirs"
  33. ^ Template:Nl "Omstreden cartoon op memoires Westergaard"
  34. ^ Template:Nl "Kurt Westergaard komt met memoires"
  35. ^ "Danish cartoonist to publish memoirs"

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