What does the Danish newspaper say about the cartoons?
Jyllands-Posten’s culture editor, Flemming Rose, says he did not ask the illustrators to draw satirical caricatures of Muhammad. He asked them to draw the Prophet as they saw him. Rose has insisted that there is a long Danish tradition of biting satire with no taboos, and that Muhammad and Islam are being treated no differently to other religions or religious figures. He also argues that the images have raised the profile in Denmark of a debate on integration of religious minorities. On 30 January, the paper published a statement saying: “In our opinion, the 12 drawings were sober. They were not intended to be offensive, nor were they at variance with Danish law, but they have indisputably offended many Muslims for which we apologise. ” Newspaper editors who have republished the cartoons say they are defending the right to free speech and acting in solidarity with Jyllands-Posten. How did the row develop? The cartoons were republished in Austria in January, and then at the beginning of
