Swedish Artist Not Afraid Despite Threats Over Mohammad Cartoon

On August 19, Swedish newspaper Nerikes Allehanda published a cartoon by Lars Vilks depicting the head of Prophet Mohammad on the body of a dog.

In response, some Muslim groups held demonstrations to protest the publication which violates their beliefs.  Images of Mohammad are forbidden under Islam.  Additionally, dogs are considered impure animals to many Muslims. 

However, grabbing recent headlines is the threat and bounty issued on Saturday by the self-proclaimed head of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi.  In a taped message that has been aired over many Islamic websites, al-Baghdadi offers $100,000 “to the person who kills this infidel criminal.”

At one point, al-Baghdadi requests that Vilks be “slaughtered like a lamb.”  He is also offering an additional $50,000 for the killing of the editor at Nerikes Allehanda.  If the Swedish government fails to apologize, al-Baghdadi warned that al-Qaeda in Iraq will target Swedish companies Ericsson, Volvo, Ikea, and Scania.

The Swedish government has been quick in its efforts to defuse the volatile issue, especially after the backlash that occurred last year in Denmark.  In the Denmark incident, cartoons of Mohammad were published in newspapers across the world triggering riots in the Middle East that left 50 dead.  Additionally, there were attacks on Danish embassies and boycotts of Danish products.

In the present situation, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has told Swedish news agency TT, “We are urging calm.  We are urging thoughtfulness.  We shall reject all those who call for violence and will oppose extremists’ attempts to worsen the matter.”

Additionally, on September 7, Prime Minister Reinfeldt met with 22 ambassadors from Muslim countries to discuss the situation.

So far, measures taken by Reinfeldt have won him praise from many leaders in the Muslim world.  Additionally, Swedish Muslim groups have expressed their opposition to the threats against Vilks.  Maintaining the peace in Sweden is an important task as over 18,000 Iraqi refugees have been welcomed in Sweden over the past year alone.

The International Press Institute has been the latest group to condemn the threats against Vilks.  Its director, Johann Fritz, issued a statement in which he said “the threat of violence is never justified as a means to curb freedom of expression or to encourage censorship.”

Additionally, Lars Vilks, has told reporters that he was not worried about the threat on his life.  “It is fundamental for Western thinking to be able to express one’s artistry without making exceptions for holiness,” he said, according to the BBC.

More recently, on Tuesday, Vilks displayed his sketch to a crowd of 100 people during a seminar at the Berwaldhallen concert hall.  He told the audience that his drawings were an attempt to push the lines of artistic freedom.  “A work of art is successful when it meets resistance,” he said.

The crowd applauded when Vilks showed the drawing.

However, despite Vilks worry-free attitude, Sweden’s security service (SAPO) is taking the threat against his life very seriously.  They told Vilks on Monday that he was no longer safe enough to live at home.  As of now he is being guarded by police at a secret location.

For more information please see:

BBC - Bounty Set Over Prophet Cartoon - 15 September 2007.

Reuters - Sweden Moves to Defuse Row Over Prophet Cartoon - 16 September 2007.

Yahoo - Police Tell Threatened Swedish Artist to Leave Home - 17 September 2007.

Yahoo - Cartoonist Hiding From al-Qaida Threat – 17 September 2007.

Yahoo - Swedish Artist Displays Prophet Cartoon – 18 September 2007.

International Herald Tribune - Media Watchdog Condemns Death Threats Against Swedish Artist, Editor - 19 September 2007.

Comments

[Muslims Against Sharia]

Muslims Against Sharia praise the courage of Lars Vilks, Ulf Johansson, Thorbjorn Larsson and the staff of Nerikes Allehanda and Dagens Nyheter and condemn threats issued by Abu Omar Al Baghdadi and the Islamic State of Iraq. Muslims Against Sharia will provide a payment of 100,000kr (about $15,000) for the information leading to capture or neutralization of Abu Omar Al Baghdadi.

Muslimer mot Sharia berömmer Lars Vilks, Ulf Johansson, Torbjörn Larsson och övriga anställda på Nerikes Allehanda och Dagens Nyheter för deras tapperhet och fördömer hotet från Abu Omar Al Baghdadi och Islamistiska Iraq. Muslimer mot Sharia betalar 100 000 SEK (ca 15 000$) för information som leder till gripande eller oskadligörande av Abu Omar Al Baghdadi.

Muslims Against Sharia

Defend Freedom of Speech - Support Sweden!

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Muslims Against Sharia praise the courage of Lars Vilks, Ulf Johansson, Thorbjorn Larsson and the staff of Nerikes Allehanda and Dagens Nyheter and condemn threats issued by Abu Omar Al Baghdadi and the Islamic State of Iraq. Muslims Against Sharia will provide a payment of 100,000kr (about $15,000) for the information leading to capture or neutralization of Abu Omar Al Baghdadi.

Muslimer mot Sharia berömmer Lars Vilks, Ulf Johansson, Torbjörn Larsson och övriga anställda på Nerikes Allehanda och Dagens Nyheter för deras tapperhet och fördömer hotet från Abu Omar Al Baghdadi och Islamistiska Iraq. Muslimer mot Sharia betalar 100 000 SEK (ca 15 000$) för information som leder till gripande eller oskadligörande av Abu Omar Al Baghdadi.

Posted at: http://muslimsagainstsharia.blogspot.com/2007/09/swedish-cartoons.html

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