By KEVIN SWITZER
March 9, 2006

On September 30, 2005, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published twelve political cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Many, particularly followers of Islam, found the cartoons to be offensive, and Muslims in Denmark protested their publication. Newspapers in more than fifty other countries have now reprinted the cartoons, causing them to become a worldwide controversy. As a result, violent protests have erupted, causing dozens of deaths, while many continue to debate the principles of the matter.

It all started when a Danish author by the name of Kåre Bluitgen was looking for someone to illustrate his children’s book about Muhammad. Bluitgen found the first three artists he contacted unwilling to work with him for fear of provoking the wrath of Muslim extremists. To call attention to this issue, the cultural editor of Jyllands-Posten, Flemming Rose, started a project for the paper. He asked a number of cartoonists to draw Muhammad as they envisioned him. Twelve of the cartoonists agreed and submitted their depictions of Muhammad, which were published along with a commentary on self-censorship and freedom of speech.

The cartoon that is widely considered the most offensive portrays Muhammad with a bomb in his turban. Inscribed on the bomb is the Islamic creed. Another cartoon portrays Muhammad dressed in white robes with a crescent shaped halo. The middle part of the crescent is covered by Muhammad’s head, making him appear to have two horns. One cartoonist rendered Muhammad standing on a cloud shouting (in Danish) to dead suicide bombers, “Stop, stop, we have run out of virgins!” Another cartoonist drew an artist nervously drawing Muhammad while looking over his shoulder.

In response to the protests in Denmark, Jyllands-Posten published a letter apologizing for offending the Islamic community. However, the incident has continued to stir up debate and international tension in recent months.

For ongoing updates regarding the controversy and the latest developments, visit Wikipedia, an open access, online encyclopedia (from which some information for this article was obtained). Go to en.wikipedia.com and find the link for “Current Events” to read more.