This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/1609
French and Germans papers declare : "We have a right to caricature God"
February 1, 2006
Cartoon row spreads across Europe
Gwladys Fouché
Wednesday February 1, 2006
http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,1699812,00.html
The 12 drawings were first printed in the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten in September, sparking protests by Muslims against Denmark in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other countries in the region.
The offices of the newspaper were evacuated last night following a bomb threat - a day after the editor in chief apologised to the Muslim world for publishing the cartoons.
Islam forbids the human representation of the prophet. Many Muslims were also angry that some of the cartoons appeared to ridicule Muhammad.
Die Welt printed on its front page today the drawing of the prophet wearing a turban with a bomb about to explode.
"Democracy is the institutionalised form of freedom of expression. There is no right to protection from satire in the west; there is a right to blasphemy" the paper said in an accompanying comment piece.
The Berliner Zeitung also reprinted two cartoons as part of its coverage of the controversy.
Meanwhile, France-Soir printed a cartoon on its front page that showed Buddha, Yahweh, God and Muhammad sitting on a cloud, with God saying to Muhammad: "Don't be angry, we're have all been caricatured". The front page headline read: "Yes, we have the right to caricature God".
Inside, the newspaper reprinted the cartoons and argued in an editorial that religious dogma had no place in a secular society.
This item is available on the Militant Islam Monitor website, at http://www.militantislammonitor.org/article/id/1609