Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy

File:Jyllands-Posten Muhammad drawings.jpg

Page three of Jyllands-Posten's culture section from September 30, 2005 with the twelve drawings of Muhammad.

Late in 2005 the Muhammed Drawings became the centre of a major political controversy following the publishing of 12 satirical caricatures of the Islamic prophet Muhammad on September 30, 2005, including one suggesting he had a bomb in his turban. The drawings were printed in the Danish right-wing daily Jyllands-Posten as a satirical illustration to go along an article on self-censorship and freedom of speech, commenting on the fact that no artist was willing to illustrate a childrens book by the Danish writer Kåre Bluitgen about Muhammad without remaining anonymous, allegedly for fear of revenge from extremist Muslims, as depicting Muhammad is prohibited according to Islamic belief.

While the newspaper maintains that the drawings were an exercise in free speech, many Muslims in Denmark and further afield viewed them as a provocation. Two newspaper cartoonists were reportedly driven into hiding after death threats were issued against them and the paper has revised and heightened its security procedures. [1] [2] [3]

International consequences

The Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador and the embassy of Pakistan in Copenhagen told the Danish prime minister, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, to penalize the drawers, and the controversy produced labour strikes in Pakistan and Kashmir. In Bahrain MPs called for an extraordinary session of parliament to discuss the cartoons, while protestors set Danish dairy products ablaze. Al Menbar MP Mohammed Khaled has demanded that Arab leaders take action: "We are stunned by the silence of the Arab leaders. They don't tolerate any criticism against them, yet allow others to insult the Prophet."[4]

Franco Frattini, the vice-President of the European Commission, called the publication of the twelve cartoons “thoughtless and inappropriate” in a time when animosity towards Islam is on the rise. According to Frattini, the EU Commissioner for Justice, Freedom, and Security, the cartoons foment hostility against Islam and foreigners:

Honestly, these kinds of drawings can add to the growing Islamophobia in Europe. I fully respect the freedom of speech, but, excuse me, one should avoid making any statement like this, which only arouses and incites to the growing radicalisation.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Society in Denmark has proposed that a three day celebration of Muhammad should be held in Denmark, putting a focus on the prophet's life. This should be coordinated in part by the Islamic Society, Jyllands-Posten and at least some of the five universities in Denmark. This was declined by the universities, as they do not take part in religious activities.

Boycotts

In early January the Egyptian government threatened [whom did they threaten?] with a boycott, but did not carry out their threat. However people in Saudi Arabia called out for a boycott January 20th, and carried out the boycott on Danish products January 26th. The boycott primarily targeted dairy products produced by Arla Foods, but has also hit other products. The boycott has spread to Kuwait where the countries largest retailer-chain, Coop, owned by the state, has taken all Danish products down from the shelves. This has lead to the organisation of Danish industries sending an open letter to Jyllands-Posten where they state that the paper should comment on these events because they feel their members are caught in a 'battle' between religious movements and the paper.[5] The newspaper has reacted to the letter and said that "Dictatorships should not dictate what Danish newspapers are to draw and write" [6] they also feel they've already given an apology to the muslims for offending them.

The Foreign Minister of Denmark, Per Stig Møller, stated that the boycott has not been initiated by the Saudi Arabian government. The Danish dairy-company Arla Foods launched a massive ad-campaign in Saudi Arabia, trying to improve their reputation and stop the boycott. This happened after their sales in Saudi Arabia almost came to a complete stop. The text for the ads has been written by the Danish ambassador in Saudi Arabia, Hans Klingenberg and includes passages from the Prime Minister of Denmarks New Year's speech. Arla exports account for almost 500 million dollars a year. [7].

Affected companies

According to a Saudi Arabian flyer, the following companies should be boycotted. The list was printed in the Danish newspaper Politiken on the January 28th, 2006.

Chewing gum, Candy and Beverages

Stimorol, Dirol, Cadbury Chocolate, Lion chocolate bar, Schweppes Beverage, 7UP Beverage, Canada Dry Beverage, Halls, Snapple Juice, Fertin Pharma

In Scandinavia

A Norwegian magazine, Magazinet, printed the drawings after getting authorization from Jyllands-Posten and it led to a great debate in Norway as well. A Norwegian man made a threat against the lives of the people at the magazine, but later claimed, when faced by the police, that it was just a prank. Some Swedish newspapers have considered printing the drawings as well. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry sent a letter to their ambassadors in the Middle East, that one of the pillars of the Norwegian society is Freedom of Speech, but they expressed regret that Magazinet did not respect muslims beliefs. (Zaman Online)

The real controversy with these new drawings stems, as mentioned before, from the fact that one of them shows Muhammad with a bomb in his turban and therefore apparantly equates Islam with terror. In addition, later interpretations of the Koran have forbidden muslims to make paintings of the prophet.

Subsequent terror threats

On 30 January, an islamic organisation, the Mujahedeen Army, called for terror acts against "all available targets" in Denmark and Norway. (Jyllands-Posten)

Timeline

30th September — The drawings are printed in Jyllands-Posten
8th October — Islamic Society in Denmark demands that Jyllands-Posten apologises to all muslims and withdraws the drawings
19th October — 11 Ambassadors request a meeting with the Prime Minister of Denmark, and want him to take legal actions against Jyllands-Posten. The Prime Minister refuses to meet the ambassadors.
November-December — A delegation of Imams from Islamic Society in Denmark travel to the Middle East in order to get them react towards the drawings.
7th December — Labour Strikes in Pakistan.
19th December — 22 Former Danish ambassadors critisize the Danish Prime for not meeting with the 11 ambassadors in October.
29th December — The Arab League critisize the Danish government for not acting in the matter.
1st January — The Danish Prime Minister informs during his yearly speech that both religion and the Freedom of Speech is respected in Denmark.
10th January — The Norwegian newspaper Magazinet brings the drawings.
26th January — Saudi-Arabian people begin boycotting of Danish products.
26th January — Saudi-Arabia recall their Ambassador.
26th January — The Norwegian government apologises that Magazinet brought the drawings, but reiterates the govenment has no power over the free press.
28th January — Danish ambassador in Saudi-Arabia is interviewed by American AP-TV, where he critisizes Jyllands-posten's lack of judgement and knowledge of Islam, even though the Danish government has not spoken on the matter.
28th January — OIC states that the Danish govenrment should immediately have condemned the drawings.
29th January:
- Libya has closed their embassy in Denmark
- The Danish government informs that their ambassador in Saudi-Arabia only expressed his own opinion in the interview January 28th with AP-TV. The government support party, Dansk Folkeparti, demands he is reprimanded.
- The Danish ambassador in Jordan has been summoned for a hearing.
- The president of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai has called the printing of the images to be a mistake, and hopes that this will lead to the medias being more responsible and respectful in the future.
- The Flag of Denmark has been burned in Nablus and Hebron in Palestine.
- Yemen's parliament has condemned the images.
- OIC (Organization of Islamic conferences) are headed to the UN with a resolution that forbids attacks on religious beliefs.
- Bahrain has also condemned the images.
- Syria also condemns the images.
- A new denial-of-service attack on Jyllands-Postens homepage. The first happened on January 27th.
- Ekstra Bladet reveals that a Danish Muslim association spreading the story in the Middle East, has claimed that it represents 200,000 Danish Muslims. Its actual membership number is around 15,000. [8]
- Islamic Jihad gives Danes, Norwegians and Swedes 48 hours to leave the Gaza Strip.
- Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades gives Danes and Swedes 72 hours to leave the area.
30th January
- Armed Palestinians from the Fatah take over an E.U. office
- The Prime Minister of Denmark says that he personally distances himself from the drawings, but reiterated that the government cannot intervene in what the media writes. [9]
- The Egyptian parliament encourages to boycott Danish products
- A militant islamic organisation, the Mujahideen Army, calls for terror strikes against Danish and Norwegian targets.

Main Source: Politiken (danish)

Historical drawings

Islamic tradition bans any depiction of the prophets either in drawing or statues, even respectful ones, out of concern that such images could lead to idolatry, and thus worshipping of Muhammad instead of the One God. Certain historical attempts have been made depicting Muhammad as a merchant and doing other everyday things. Most of the paintings don't show Muhammads face. Attempts to draw the profit showing he profit's face were extremely rare that was mostly practiced by the Ottomans from Turkey.

Opinions in Denmark

The general opinion in Denmark is that the drawings do not violate any blasphemy laws, and neither the newspaper nor the cartoonists have apologized for publishing them. The Islamic Society in Denmark wanted the case put forward for a trial to determine whether the publication of the drawings had violated anything, but the case was dismissed by the public prosecutor before it went to trial, because he found there was no basis for such a trial.

The question whether the drawings should have been printed in the first place has been discussed a lot in Denmark from letters to the Editors, to national television and to high schools and universities at open debate meetings.

A recent poll from Epinion for DR, the national broadcasting company of Denmark, showed that 79 % of the Danes believe that the Prime Minister of Denmark should not apologize to the Muslims and 62 % believed that neither should Jyllands-Posten. [10] (in Danish)

Open Letter from Jyllands-Posten

An open letter has been published by Jylland-Posten on its website in Danish and Arabic. This is an English translation, translated from the Danish version of the open letter.

"Honoured citizens

Allow me the opportunity to correct some misunderstandings regarding the drawings of the prophet Muhammed, which now have lead to a boycott of Danish products in your country.

The drawings were published four months ago as a part in a Danish debate about freedom of speech – a right that we cherish in Denmark.

The initiative has been interpreted as a campaign against Muslims in Denmark and throughout the world. I must categorically repudiate that. It was not our intention to offend anyone’s beliefs. That it happened anyway was unintended. We have regretted that many times in the course of the last few months. Both in our own newspaper, in other newspapers, on TV, in the radio and in international medias. We have at the same time carried out meetings with representatives of the Muslim society in Denmark. They have taken place in a positive and constructive spirit, just like we also seek to establish a rewarding dialogue with the Danish Muslims in other ways.

We are sorry that the affair has reached the present magnitude and we will therefore repeat, that we did not have intentions of offending anyone, and that we like the rest of the Danish society respect religious liberty.

Sincerely Carsten Juste Editor-in-chief"

External links

International consequences

Boycotts

Affected companies

Chewing gum, Candy and Beverages

Meat

Non-alcoholic beer

Dairy Products

Medicine

Electronics and technology

Toys

China, glass and silver products

Lamps

Agriculture

Hotels