Michael C. Moynihan | February 12, 2008
In Danish cartoon madness news (yes, the nutters are still pissed about them), three people were arrested today by the Danish security services on conspiracy charges. The Guardian reports:
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of plotting to kill a cartoonist who drew a caricature of the prophet Muhammad, Danish police said today. Two Tunisians and one Dane of Moroccan origin were arrested in an early morning raid in Aarhus, in the west of the country. Earlier reports said five suspects had been detained. Police officials said they made the arrests to "prevent a terror-related murder" after a long period of surveillance, but did not say which cartoonist had been targeted.
The cartoonist, according to Danish sources, is Kurt
Westergaard, illustrator of the famous bomb-in-turban drawing of
the Muslim prophet.
Some further info from the Danish press: When contacted by
Jyllands-Posten, Muslim parliamentarian and founder of the
Denmark's "Democratic Muslim" movement, Nasar Khader, said he
was "deeply shocked" by the arrests. "I know the illustrators.
We were on the same side during the Mohammad conflict..." As
Flemming Rose pointed out, Khader was one of the great
heroes in the showdown with those who demanded government
intervention to assuage the sensitivities of Denmark's Muslim
population. Surprisingly, no English-language outlet has mentioned
that Berligske Tidende, the country's second-largest
circulating broadsheet and a paper that has thus far refused to
publish the cartoons, has decided to print Westergaard's drawing
"in solidarity." JP reports: "For the first time, Berligske
Tidende is publishing Kurt Westergaard's cartoons of Mohammad
with a bomb in his turban. Politiken too has reprinted the
cartoon."
Westergaard sent a justifiably irritated statement to the paper:
"...I have turned fear into anger and indignation. It has made me
angry that a perfectly normal everyday activity which I used to do
by the thousand was abused to set off such madness. I have attended
to my work and I still do. I could not possibly know for how long I
have to live under police protection; I think, however, that the
impact of the insane response to my cartoon will last for the rest
of my life. It is sad indeed, but it has become a fact of my life.
"
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|2.12.08 @ 3:03PM|#
I'm calling BS PR stunt. Rolling Stone showed definitively in a recent peer reviewed article that domestic terror is a myth. So unless you are ready to accuse Rolling Stone of the USAocentric stance that domestic only means in the USA (good luck, they're worldwide), this story is a load of crap.
carl|2.12.08 @ 3:07PM|#
Berligske Tidende is still refusing to print cartoons depicting Frylock and Meatwad, however. I wouldn't call them free-speech heroes just yet.
Episiarch|2.12.08 @ 3:09PM|#
Berligske Tidende is still refusing to print cartoons depicting Frylock and Meatwad, however.
What about Shake?
Plant Immigration Rights Suppo|2.12.08 @ 3:10PM|#
Isn't religion beautiful?
Episiarch|2.12.08 @ 3:11PM|#
Even though they were stopped, the message got out: some fanatics are serious about killing people for cartoons.
The fear gets spread whether they succeeded or not.
Mohammed|2.12.08 @ 3:13PM|#
Can't we all just get along?
Or I'll saw your head off.
|2.12.08 @ 3:15PM|#
tim, Rolling Stone has "peer-reviewed" articles? Just like the AMA Journal? Really? And The Guardian, that known right-wing rag, is in on this PR stunt?
|2.12.08 @ 3:16PM|#
Since were talking about cartoons...
The Venture Bros. 3rd season is supposed to start in June.
Hank! We've got big troubles. The Apaches are back! Look. Tepee in your trunks!
My pants are haunted! My pants are haunted!
Ska|2.12.08 @ 3:18PM|#
Man, that show is so good.
Episiarch|2.12.08 @ 3:21PM|#
When they go so long between Venture Bros. seasons I have a hard time realizing when they are starting up again.
|2.12.08 @ 3:22PM|#
All this bullshit over cartoons that weren't even that funny or particularly shocking.
|2.12.08 @ 3:22PM|#
Epi,
It's not you. The 3rd season was supposed to air last November.
Reports are it will be a full 13 episodes.
Episiarch|2.12.08 @ 3:24PM|#
All this bullshit over cartoons that weren't even that funny or particularly shocking.
WTF are you talking about Cesar? You didn't think the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future was funny? What the hell is wrong with you?
|2.12.08 @ 3:26PM|#
Epi-
I suspect you're joking but in case you really are confused I meant the Muhammad cartoons.
Episiarch|2.12.08 @ 3:27PM|#
(yes I was joking)
Wikipedia Fanatic|2.12.08 @ 3:29PM|#
"All this bullshit over cartoons that weren't even that funny or particularly shocking."
[Citation needed]
|2.12.08 @ 3:35PM|#
Nothing like proving a cartoonist wrong who illustrated the violent nature of Islam by trying to kill him!
Terrorist|2.12.08 @ 3:38PM|#
I agree with Cesar. I am unwilling to kill over unfunny cartoons.
But that rascally Garfield shall feel my wrath!
Tom Walls|2.12.08 @ 4:19PM|#
What happens to children who draw innocent pictures of Allah or Mohammed? Are they punished?
I did see an Army guy whack his kid when he dropped a little American flag on the ground once.
|2.12.08 @ 4:41PM|#
I did see an Army guy whack his kid when he dropped a little American flag on the ground once.
When that happens, you are just supposed to burn it.
The kid, that is.
Or is it the flag?
I always mess that one up.
the little things are importan|2.12.08 @ 6:35PM|#
tunes = toons
Plant Immigration Rights Suppo|2.12.08 @ 10:08PM|#
Little things, I could be wrong but I think that is a play on the Luny Tunes - I mean of course the Reggaeton production team. You can see the connection right?
|2.13.08 @ 8:46AM|#
Does freedome of speach = violate other people's rights = disrespectful of other religions and cultures = harrass everyone else who does not agree with you? When all of these morons know that Muslims are very sensitive about their Prophet, why the heck they want to mock them every other day? I DARE anyone who is claiming to be a champoin of "free speech" to draw a "funny" cartoon of holocost and portray hitler as a holy man of God just for giggles....... Does anyone of you have the guts to do that? FREE SPEECH??really??
Episiarch|2.13.08 @ 8:54AM|#
Aamir, fuck Mohammed, Jesus, Budda, Hitler, and you.
|2.13.08 @ 1:41PM|#
Aamir, actually the Gloriously Submissive Islamic Republic of Iran already sponsored a Holocaust-denial cartoon contest. So far, my country's Jew-run media has not reported any incidents of violence or attacks on the cartoonists as a result.
Maybe it's because Jewish culture doesn't praise apelike shit-chucking violence as a legitimate reaction to every perceived slight to their faith.
Plat Immigration Rights Suppor|2.15.08 @ 7:53PM|#
Aamir, a religion is a set of ideas. Ideas should NEVER be taboo for debate - either through words or cartoons. I oppose ALL faith based religions, not just Islam. I think they should ALL be open for debate.