Silenced: How Apostasy and Blasphemy Codes Are Choking Freedom Worldwide

by Paul Marshall

  42. In a 2008 interview, he explained: “the cartoon was … aimed at the terrorists, who use part of Islam as their spiritual ammunition. You could also say that the terrorists have taken the Prophet as their hostage”; interview with Kurt Westergaard by Yassin Musharbash, Spiegel Online, August 15, 2008, http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,572330,00.html.

  43. Stephen Schwartz, “Muhammad Caricatured,” The Weekly Standard, February 20, 2006, http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/006/699xftsa.asp; Oleg Grabar, “Seeing Is Believing. The Image of the Prophet in Islam: The Real Story,” The New Republic, November 4, 2009, http://www.tnr.com/article/books-and-arts/seeing-and-believing.

  44. Richard, “In Art Museums, Portraits Illuminate a Religious Taboo,” http://www.washing-tonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/13/AR2006021302407.html; Amir Taheri, “Bonfire of the Pieties,” Wall Street Journal, February 8, 2006, http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007934.

  45. “Q&A: Depicting the Prophet Muhammad,” BBC Online, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4674864.stm; “Q&A,” www.sistani.org.

  46. Pew Forum, transcript of “Islam and the West: A Conversation with Bernard Lewis,” April 27, 2006.

  47. “Imam Demands Apology for Mohammed Cartoons,” Copenhagen Post, October 6, 2005; Lorenzo Vidino, “Creating Outrage,” National Review Online, February 6, 2006, http://old.nationalreview.com/comment/vidino200602060735.asp; Pernille Ammitzbøll and Lorenzo Vidino, “After the Danish Cartoon Controversy,” Middle East Quarterly, http://www.meforum.org/1437/after-the-danish-cartoon-controversy.

  48. Lorenzo Vidino, “Creating Outrage”; Shadid and Sullivan, “Anatomy of the Cartoon Protest Movement”; Ammitzbøll and Vidino, “After the Danish Cartoon Controversy.”

  49. Klausen, Cartoons That Shook the World, 83.

  50. Copenhagen Post, “Cartoons Have Muslims Threatening Newspaper,” Jyllands-Posten, October 12, 2005, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1501392/posts.

  51. The ambassadors of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Algeria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina; a representative of the Libyan Embassy; the chargé d’affaires of Morocco; and the Head of the Palestinian General Delegation.

  52. Klausen, Cartoons That Shook the World, 155–57, discusses the three incidents mentioned aside from the cartoons; pp. 36–37 reproduce the diplomats’ letter in full.

  53. Reproduced in ibid., 66.

  54. “Rent-a-Riot ABCs,” New York Post, February 9, 2006; Vidino, “Creating Outrage”; Shadid and Sullivan, “Anatomy.”

  55. “Cartoons of Mohammed Cause Death Threat,” DR Nyheder, December 2, 2005.

  56. Decision on possible criminal proceedings in the case of Jyllands-Posten’s article “The Face of Muhammad,” The Director of Public Prosecutions (Denmark), File No. RA-2006-41-0151, March 15, 2006, http://www.rigsadvokaten.dk/media/bilag/afgorelse_engelsk.pdf. There were controversies in 1984 and 1992 over a painting on a railway station and a film, respectively, offensive to many Christians, but no legal measures were taken. See Blasphemy and Film Censorship—Submission to the European Court of Human Rights in Respect of Nigel Wingrove v. the United Kingdom, Article 19 and Interights, December 1995, 8, http://www.article19.org/pdfs/cases/uk-wingrove-v.-uk.pdf; and “Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland,” under Caslon’s analysis of European blasphemy law and cases, http://www.caslon.com.au/blasphemyprofile9.htm#denmark.

  57. “Danes and Muslims,” Wall Street Journal, January 31, 2006.

  58. “Muslim Organization Calls for Boycott of Denmark,” Copenhagen Post, December 28, 2005; Klausen, Cartoons That Shook the World, 63–64.

  59. Daniel Howden, “How a Meeting of Leaders in Mecca Set Off the Cartoon Wars Around the World,” The Independent, February 10, 2006, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/how-a-meeting-of-leaders-in-mecca-set-off-the-cartoon-wars-around-the-world-466109.html.

  60. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades claimed responsibility for the incident, which fortunately ended without injury; Donna Abu-Nasr, “Outrage Builds in Mideast over Cartoons,” AP, January 30, 2006, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1665&dat=20060131&id=MEUaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RyUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3424,5641902; Jenny Booth and Reuters, “Kidnapping in Row over Muhammad Cartoons,” The Times, February 2, 2006, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article724944.ece; http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1774&dat=20060203&id=45ceAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1oYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6812,3285523; “Gaza EU Offices Raided by Gunmen,” BBC News, January 30, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4661572.stm; Alan Cowell, “Dane Defends Press Freedom As Muslims Protest Cartoons,” New York Times, February 1, 2006, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/01/international/europe/01danish.html; Nidal al-Mughrabi, “Gazans Burn Danish Flags, Demand Cartoon Apology,” Reuters, January 31, 2006.

  61. “Gaza EU Offices Raided by Gunmen.”

  62. “Danes and Muslims.”

  63. Alan Cowell, “Dane Defends Press Freedom.”

  64. Shadid and Sullivan, “Anatomy”; Alan Cowell, “More European Papers Print Cartoons of Muhammad, Fueling Dispute with Muslims,” New York Times, February 2, 2006, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/02/international/europe/02danish.html.

  65. “Bomb Hoax at France-Soir Follows Similar Threats Against other European Newspapers,” Reporters Without Borders, February 7, 2006, http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=16342.

  66. “Envoys Meet As Muslim Anger Grows,” BBC News, February 3, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4678280.stm.

  67. “Behind the Headlines: How the Arab Media Covered the Danish Cartoon Controversy,” Asharq Alawsat, February 8, 2006, http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=5&id=3715; “Clash of Civilization,” Wall Street Journal, February 11, 2006, http://www.opinionjournal.com/weekend/hottopic/?id=110007956.

  68. “Sheikh Al-Qaradawi Responds to Cartoons of Prophet Muhammad,” MEMRI Special Dispatch Series 1089, February 9, 2006, http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP108906.

  69. “Cartoons Spark Burning of Embassies,” Washington Post, February 5, 2006, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/04/AR2006020401208.html; Qassim Abdel-Zahra, “Muslims Again Protest Muhammad Caricatures,” AP, February 3, 2006, http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8FHNUPG8&show_article=1; Albert Aji, “Syrians Torch Embassies over Caricatures,” AP, February 4, 2006, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2006-02/05/content_517149.htm.

  70. “Muslim Cartoon Fury Claims Lives,” BBC News, February 6, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4684652.stm.

  71. “Taleban Say 100 Enlist for Suicide Attacks over Cartoons,” Khaleej Times (AFP), February 9, 2006.

  72. Abdullah Shiri, “Saudi Cleric Demands Trial over Drawings,” AP, February 11, 2006, http://islamdaily.net/EN/Contents.aspx?AID=4063.

  73. “Two Die in Pakistan Cartoon Clash,” BBC News, February 14, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4711318.stm.

  74. “Fresh Pakistan Cartoon Protests,” BBC News, February 16, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4718958.stm; “40,000 in Karachi Protest Cartoons of Muhammad,” AP, February 17, 2006, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2006/02/16/AR2006021602136.html.

  75. “Muslim Cartoon Fury Claims Lives”; Lee Keath, “Friday Brings New Prophet Drawing Protests,” AP, February 10, 2006, http://muzi.com/news/ll/english/10003182.shtml.

  76. “Europarliament Condemns Killing of Priest in Turkey,” Zenit, February 21, 2006, http://www.zenit.org/article-15341?l=english; “CSI Deplores Wave of Islamic Violence against Freedom of Expression,” Christian Solidarity International press release, February 8, 2006, http://www.csi-int.org/archives.php?inhId=1139498235&bstFam=2&arc=1&sId=01234280636&sucHL=&sucJahr=; “Benedict XVI Hopes Priest’s Murder Stirs Solidarity,” Zenit, February 6, 2006, http://www.zenit.org/article-15202?l=english.

  77. Annia Ciezadlo, “What the Cartoon Jihadists Want,” New Republic, February 16, 2006.

  78. Ali Kotarumalos, �
�Muslims Assault U.S. Embassy in Indonesia.”

  79. Peter Lamprecht, “Cartoon Protestors in Pakistan Target Christians,” Compass Direct News, February 20, 2006.

  80. Dean Nelson, “Minister Offers £6m to Behead Cartoonist,” Sunday Times, February 19, 2006, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article732451.ece.

  81. “Nigerian Priest: Another Victim of Violence,” Zenit, February 21, 2006, http://www.zenit.org/article-15339?l=english; Njadvara Musa, “Cartoon Protests Leave 15 Dead in Nigeria,” AP, February 18, 2006.

  82. In Klausen’s assessment, by February, Egypt and the OIC had decided to end the conflict and “hand the matter over to the United Nations” but were overtaken by events; see Cartoons That Shook the World, 53.

  83. “Muslim Cartoon Fury Claims Lives,” BBC News, February 6, 2006; “Iran President Orders Economic Reprisals for Cartoons,” AFP, February 5, 2006, http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200602/s1562601.htm.

  84. “Cartoon Crisis is EU Fight,” AFP, February 22, 2006; “Pakistan Crackdown over Cartoons,” BBC News, February 17, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4722712.stm; the reward was offered for killing the cartoonist (singular) according to the BBC original, and it may be that the bounty offerers, as well as others, were unaware that the cartoons were drawn by twelve different people.

  85. Qassim Abdel-Zahra, “Muslims Again Protest Muhammad Caricatures”; Ewen MacAskill, Sandra Laville, and Luke Harding, “Cartoon Controversy Spreads Throughout Muslim World,” The Guardian, February 4, 2006, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/feb/04/muhammadcartoons.pressandpublishing; “Musharaff in Cartoon Condemnation,” BBC News, February 3, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4676776.stm.

  86. “Two Die in Pakistan Cartoon Clash”; Paivi Munter, Annukka Oksanen, and Roula Khalaf, “Nordic States Fear Spread of Mid East Attacks,” Financial Times, February 5, 2006.

  87. Shiri, “Saudi Cleric Demands Trial over Drawings.”

  88. “Asia’s Moderate Muslims,” Wall Street Journal, February 8, 2006, http://www.atimes.com/se-asia/CI28Ae01.html.

  89. “Islam-West Divide ‘Grows Deeper.’ ”

  90. “Dubai Sacks U.S. Prof; Kuwait Echoes ‘Calm’; Four Killed,” Arab Times (Kuwait), February 8, 2006.

  91. Qassim Abdel-Zahra, “Muslims again Protest Muhammad Caricatures”; MacAskill, Laville, and Harding, “Cartoon Controversy Spreads Throughout Muslim World”; Sebastian Usher, “Saudi Ppaper ‘Shut’ in Cartoon Row,” BBC News, February 20, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4734500.stm; Michael Slackman and Hassan M. Fattah, “Furor over Cartoons Pits Muslim Against Muslim,” New York Times, February 22, 2006, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/22/international/middleeast/22cartoons.html; “Syria: Journalist Charged after Advocating Dialogue,” UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Integrated Regional Information Networks, February 12, 2006, http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=26127.

  92. “Declaration of Fatwa by World islamic [sic] Scholars about Danish Cartoons,” February 20, 2006, http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/declaration_of_fatwa_by_world_islamic_scholars_about_danish_cartoons; Klausen, Cartoons (n. 7 above), 105.

  93. Eli Lake, “A Surprise in a Supermarket in Cairo,” New York Sun, February 13, 2006.

  94. Shiri, “Saudi Cleric Demands Trial over Drawings.”

  95. European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance, CRI (2006) 18, Third report on Denmark, adopted December 16, 2005, released May 16, 2006, http://hudoc.ecri.coe.int/XMLEcri/ENGLISH/Cycle_03/03_CbC_eng/DNK-CbC-III-2006-18-ENG.pdf; “EU Media Code Set to Follow Muslim Cartoons Row,” TheParliament.com, http://www.eupolitix.com/latestnews/news-article/newsarticle/eu-media-code-set-to-follow-muslim-cartoons-row/; “EU Commissioner Lashes out at Mohammed Drawings,” Copenhagen Post, December 23, 2005.

  96. “Usama bin Laden Criticizes Europe for Anti-Islamic Cartoons, Vows Reaction,” AP, March 19, 2008; Yassin Musharbash, “Online Magazine Hints at Attacks on Papers That Ran Muhammad Caricatures,” Der Spiegel, May 5, 2006; “Al-Qaeda Video Calls for Attacks over Mohammed Videos [sic],” AFP, May 11, 2006.

  97. “Will Kill Mohammed Caricaturists,” Aftenposten, May 4, 2006.

  98. “Mohammed Cartoons ‘Sparked Bomb Plot,’ ” The Australian, September 2, 2006.

  99. “Cartoons Possible Terror Motive,” Copenhagen Post, May 10, 2007; “Three Jailed for Planned Copenhagen Astacks,” France 24, November 23, 2007, http://www.france24.com/france-24Public/en/archives/news/europe/20071123-Denmark-bomb-attack-imprisoned-Muslims-Iraqi-Kurd.php.

  100. “A Suspect in the Vollsmose terror Case Said the Cu [sic],” Copenhagen Post, October 4, 2007, http://www.cphpost.dk/news/1/4096.html.

  101. “Islamic Extremists Threaten Denmark with Poison,” Copenhagen Post, September 15, 2008.

  102. Moumine Ngarmbassa, “Chad Halts ‘Holy War’ by Muslim Leader, 70 Killed,” Reuters, July 2, 2008.

  103. “Danish Cartoons ‘Plotters’ Held,” BBC News, February 12, 2008.

  104. “Tunisians Had Planned to Strangle prophet Cartoonist—Report,” Dow Jones Newswires, June 19, 2009.

  105. “Danish court rules on Tunisians held over murder plot,” Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA), November 19, 2008.

  106. “Danish Caricaturist of Muhammad Fame Now Homeless,” Der Spiegel, February 20, 2008.

  107. “Danish Muhammad cartoon reprinted,” BBC News, February 13, 2008.

  108. “European Newspapers Reprint Prophet Mohammed Cartoon,” CNN, February 13, 2008; Jakob Illeborg, “A Turn for the Worse,” The Guardian, February 20, 2008, http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/feb/20/aturnfortheworse, notes that the mood in Europe seems to have changed between the initial controversy and February 2008.

  109. Michael Kimmelman, “Outrage at Cartoons Still Tests the Danes,” New York Times, March 20, 2008; “Danish Muhammad Cartoon Reprinted,” BBC News, February 13, 2008.

  110. Flemming Rose, “Free Speech and Radical Islam,” Wall Street Journal, February 15, 2008.

  111. “Denmark Evacuates Embassies in Algeria, Afghanistan,” AP, April 23, 2008.

  112. “Danish Appeals Court Rejects Lawsuit Against Newspaper That Published Prophet Cartoons,” International Herald Tribune, June 19, 2008; Souad Mekhennet and Alan Cowell, “Qaeda Group Says It Bombed Embassy,” New York Times, June 6, 2008, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/world/asia/06pstan.html?ex=1370404800&en=036b0551a6ac7b3f&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink.

  113. “Al Qaeda Repeats Threat to Danes,” New York Times, September 6, 2008. Investigators also later found that preparations for the attack were “similar to previous attacks by Taliban linked to Al-Qaeda”; see “Pakistani Taliban Targeted Danes after Cartoons: Officials,” AFP, June 3, 2008.

  114. “2 Chicago Men Charged in Terror Plot over Muhammad Cartoons,” Fox News, October 27, 2009, http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,569780,00.html; James Bone, “‘Mickey Mouse’ Project Plotted to Kill Muhammad Cartoonist,” Times Online, October 28, 2009, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6892968.ece.

  115. Matthew Campbell, “Panic Room Saved Artist Kurt Westergaard from Islamist Assassin,” Times (U.K.), January 3, 2010, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article6973966.ece; “Somali Charged over Attack on Danish Cartoonist,” BBC News, January 2, 2010, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8437652.stm.

  116. Klausen, Cartoons That Shook the World, 107.

  117. Ibid., 4.

  118. Oleg Grabar, “Seeing Is Believing. The Image of the Prophet in Islam: The Real Story,” The New Republic, November 4, 2009. Grabar previously had two books published by Yale University Press with such images.

  119. Pope Benedict XVI, “Faith, Reason and the University: Memories and Reflections,” Lecture of the Holy Father at the University of Regensburg, September 12, 2006, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2006/september/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20060912_university-regensburg_en.html. The version currently posted re
ads “a startling brusqueness, a brusqueness that we find unacceptable,” but this passage was not in the original lecture and was added in October 2006. The lecture is discussed in James V. Schall, ed., The Regensburg Lecture (South Bend: St. Augustine’s Press, 2007).