Kurt Westergaard

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Kurt Westergaard (born July 13, 1935) is a Danish cartoonist who created the controversial cartoon of the Muslim prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb as a turban. This cartoon was the most contentious of the 12 Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons, which received strong and sometimes violent reactions from Muslims and others worldwide.[1][2] Westergaard said that terrorism that received "spiritual ammunition" from Islam inspired him to draw the cartoon.[3]

On February 12, 2008, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service PET announced the arrest of three people—two Tunisians and one Dane of Moroccan origin—alleged to have been planning the murder of Westergaard.[4]

Following the release of 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".[5]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Buch-Andersen, Thomas (October 3, 2006). Denmark row: The power of cartoons. BBC News. Retrieved on February 12, 2008.
  2. ^ 70,000 gather for violent Pakistan cartoons protest. Times Online (February 15, 2006). Retrieved on February 12, 2008.
  3. ^ Danish cartoonist: 'No regrets'. The Independent (February 19, 2006). Retrieved on February 12, 2008.
  4. ^ Danish cartoons 'plotters' held. BBC News (12 February, 2008). Retrieved on February 12, 2008.
  5. ^ Peters, J.. "Westergaard tekent Wilders", SpitsNieuws, 2008-03-31. Retrieved on 2008-04-01. (Dutch) 
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