While history has shown that political cartoons have played an important role in
demonstrating our political opinion, it has not slowed down regarding our
present day issues. These cartoons have become far more popular and a person can
find them in almost any newspaper and all over the internet. These images can be
seen by millions and because of this wide spread viewing, some cartoonist have
become even targets because of there images. As explained in “The Guardian: The
Danish cartoonist who survived an axe attack ” one artist in particular,
Kurt Westergaard, has received negative press, hate mail, death threats, and even assassination attempts over a single drawing. In September of 2005, Kurt was
asked by his newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, to draw the prophet Muhammad as he viewed him. He
depicted the prophet as a bearded man with a bomb in his turban, which now has
become Kurt’s most notorious picture.
demonstrating our political opinion, it has not slowed down regarding our
present day issues. These cartoons have become far more popular and a person can
find them in almost any newspaper and all over the internet. These images can be
seen by millions and because of this wide spread viewing, some cartoonist have
become even targets because of there images. As explained in “The Guardian: The
Danish cartoonist who survived an axe attack ” one artist in particular,
Kurt Westergaard, has received negative press, hate mail, death threats, and even assassination attempts over a single drawing. In September of 2005, Kurt was
asked by his newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, to draw the prophet Muhammad as he viewed him. He
depicted the prophet as a bearded man with a bomb in his turban, which now has
become Kurt’s most notorious picture.
Even
though this image is highly racist and offensive, it wasn’t the only picture
that could have been put into the newspaper. According to the same article, Westergaard was one of 12 artists who agreed to the commission for Jyllands-Posten. Kurt commented that it didn’t “necessarily” depict the prophet; it could have been a Taliban fighter. However, the other 11 artist didn’t even
depict the prophet in any way. So did the publisher have to use Kurt’s picture or should he have just used a unrelated picture? Should Kurt receive all the
blame for expressing his opinion, even if it is an offensive picture?
though this image is highly racist and offensive, it wasn’t the only picture
that could have been put into the newspaper. According to the same article, Westergaard was one of 12 artists who agreed to the commission for Jyllands-Posten. Kurt commented that it didn’t “necessarily” depict the prophet; it could have been a Taliban fighter. However, the other 11 artist didn’t even
depict the prophet in any way. So did the publisher have to use Kurt’s picture or should he have just used a unrelated picture? Should Kurt receive all the
blame for expressing his opinion, even if it is an offensive picture?
This image, at first, had caused moderate reactions among the Muslim community. Three
thousand Danish Muslims protested in Copenhagen and Muslim politicians and
ambassadors disapproved. But after a couple of years, things turn violent. In
2007, Kurt and Gitte were about to leave for a vacation in Paris, but they
never made it to the airport. Instead, the couple was urgently evacuated by the
PET, a security team, who believed three men were planning to kill Kurt.
Overall, they were forced to move nine times and drive nine different cars as
they migrated from cottage to cottage on the outskirts of Aarhus, spending no longer than four weeks in any one
place.
One night, while Kurt was watching his five year old grand daughter, a man wielding
an ax and a knife broke through the window of his house and attacked Kurt. Kurt
was able to take shelter in his bathroom that he modified into his own panic
room. From his bathroom, he called
the police as his assailant reportedly smashed at the reinforced door with the
axe, shouting, "We will get our revenge!" The police arrived and were able to
apprehend the assailant. Chief superintendant Morten Jensen
reported: Officers found a man armed with an axe and a knife in either hand. He broke a window of
Mr. Westergaard's house. He tried to attack one officer with an axe and he was
shot in his right leg and his left arm. The man was not seriously injured and is
now in custody.
As part the later investigation, they have determined that the man was acting on
his own, but the theory that he was part of a group of extremist is still a
possible.
So by one drawing, Kurt caused huge protests, had to go into hiding for several months, and was almost killed by a
man breaking into his house. Kurt has commented several times through out these
events on whether or not he regrets drawing this image. Shortly after publishing
the image, he said he was merely expressing his opinion. During his time in
hiding, he cursed himself for putting him and his wife through this very
stressful time period. And after the attack in his own home, he says he feels
ashamed for having put his grand daughter through such a traumatic experience.
Kurt created a cartoon stereotyping the prophet as an extremist, one who
resorts to extreme action, and it did cause some protests and issues from Muslim politicians. But by this
assassin reacting in this way, he was only strengthening this stereotype. The
irony is ridiculous.
thousand Danish Muslims protested in Copenhagen and Muslim politicians and
ambassadors disapproved. But after a couple of years, things turn violent. In
2007, Kurt and Gitte were about to leave for a vacation in Paris, but they
never made it to the airport. Instead, the couple was urgently evacuated by the
PET, a security team, who believed three men were planning to kill Kurt.
Overall, they were forced to move nine times and drive nine different cars as
they migrated from cottage to cottage on the outskirts of Aarhus, spending no longer than four weeks in any one
place.
One night, while Kurt was watching his five year old grand daughter, a man wielding
an ax and a knife broke through the window of his house and attacked Kurt. Kurt
was able to take shelter in his bathroom that he modified into his own panic
room. From his bathroom, he called
the police as his assailant reportedly smashed at the reinforced door with the
axe, shouting, "We will get our revenge!" The police arrived and were able to
apprehend the assailant. Chief superintendant Morten Jensen
reported: Officers found a man armed with an axe and a knife in either hand. He broke a window of
Mr. Westergaard's house. He tried to attack one officer with an axe and he was
shot in his right leg and his left arm. The man was not seriously injured and is
now in custody.
As part the later investigation, they have determined that the man was acting on
his own, but the theory that he was part of a group of extremist is still a
possible.
So by one drawing, Kurt caused huge protests, had to go into hiding for several months, and was almost killed by a
man breaking into his house. Kurt has commented several times through out these
events on whether or not he regrets drawing this image. Shortly after publishing
the image, he said he was merely expressing his opinion. During his time in
hiding, he cursed himself for putting him and his wife through this very
stressful time period. And after the attack in his own home, he says he feels
ashamed for having put his grand daughter through such a traumatic experience.
Kurt created a cartoon stereotyping the prophet as an extremist, one who
resorts to extreme action, and it did cause some protests and issues from Muslim politicians. But by this
assassin reacting in this way, he was only strengthening this stereotype. The
irony is ridiculous.