Copenhagen Attack Cartoonist Lars Vilks Wins Award

Lars Vilks has been living under police protection in Sweden

BBC AMERICA: A Swedish cartoonist who depicted the Prophet Muhammad as a dog has made his first public appearance since attending a debate that was targeted in a gun attack in Copenhagen last month.

Lars Vilks received a prize for courage from a free press group, at a heavily secured event in the Danish parliament.

His cartoon offended many Muslims and he now lives under guard in Sweden. » | Saturday, March 14, 2015

Muhammad Cartoonist Had $100,000 Bounty on Head
THE GUARDIAN: Lars Vilks's sketches drew a furious reaction from Muslim groups and countries, and death threats from al-Qaida

Lars Vilks, the Swedish artist at the centre of an alleged assassination attempt, was put under police protection in 2007 when al-Qaida offered a reward for his "slaughter". Vilks's depiction of the prophet Muhammad with the body of a dog in a series of drawings prompted the terrorist group to put a $100,000 bounty on his head.

The sketches had sparked a furious reaction from Muslim groups and countries including Pakistan and Iran. Some Islamic traditions consider it blasphemous to make or show an image of the prophet, and Vilks's drawings were regarded as especially derogatory as dogs are a symbol of filth for many Muslims.

In 2006 there were riots over Danish cartoons of the prophet, including one by Kurt Westergaard depicting Muhammad wearing a turban shaped as a bomb. Westergaard was subjected to death threats and attempts on his life. >>> Matthew Weaver and agencies | Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Murder Plot Against Danish Cartoonist
Police arrested several “people with a Muslim background” early Tuesday morning, suspected of conspiring to kill the Danish cartoonist, Kurt Westergaard
JYLLANDS-POSTEN: Early Tuesday morning, Danish police arrested several people with a Muslim background suspected of conspiring to kill Kurt Westergaard, a Danish cartoonist with Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten.

A formal statement by the police setting out details of the action is expected within the next few hours.

Kurt Westergaard is one of the 12 cartoonists who on 30 September 2005 published cartoons of Muslim prophet Mohammed.
The group arrested includes Danish as well as foreign citizens. The Danish Security and Intelligence Service have followed the group for months.

The cartoons and an explanatory article led, as is well known, to the so-called Mohammed crisis involving violent demonstrations, the boycott of Danish goods and the burning of Danish embassies.

Kurt Westergaard’s cartoon depicting the prophet wearing a bomb turban with a lit fuse attracted particular attention. What the cartoonist wanted to say with his cartoon was that many people exploit the prophet to legitimize terror. However, the cartoon was widely seen as a depiction of the prophet as a terrorist. Murder plot against Danish cartoonist >>>

THE TELEGRAPH:
Five arrested in Danish cartoon murder plot By Julian Isherwood, Scandinavia Correspondent

BBC:
Danish cartoons 'plotters' held

DAILY MAIL:
Islamic terror suspects seized over plot to murder 'Mohammad' cartoonist

JYLLANDS-POSTEN:

Mordkomplott gegen dänischen Karikaturisten

Complot d'assassinat contre un caricaturiste danois

Mark Alexander (Paperback)
Mark Alexander (Hardback)

How Much Longer is the Weak West Going to Tolerate this Nonsense?
BBC: The Swedish cartoonist at the centre of a row over drawings of the Prophet Muhammad says police have taken him to a secret location for his own safety.

Lars Vilks said he was only able to pick up a few things when he returned from Germany at the weekend before police escorted him from his home.

The purported head of al-Qaeda in Iraq has offered $100,000 (£49,310) to anyone killing Mr Vilks. Swedish cartoon drawer in hiding (more) »

Mark Alexander