Danish auction house drops controversial cartoonist's work

Jan 19, 2010, 12:56 GMT

Copenhagen - A fundraising auction in Denmark on Tuesday generated debate about free speech after the auction house declined to include a water colour by the newspaper cartoonist who caused outrage among Muslims worldwide in 2006.

Auction house Lauritz.com was criticized by among others Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen for rejecting the work by Kurt Westergaard for the event organized by broadcaster TV2 for the benefit of earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

Westergaard's controversial cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed with a bomb in his turban was one of 12 images published in September 2005 by the newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

The cartoons sparked outrage among Muslims and violent protests worldwide in early 2006. Westergaard has since been the target of several plots. A Somali-born man was arrested on January 1 for breaking into the cartoonist's home in western Denmark and threatening him.

Lauritz.com said that it sometimes declined to sell artefacts since it did not want to 'trigger or fuel a political or religious debate' and had also considered the safety of its staff.

The water colour was not political, Westergaard told Danish news agency Ritzau, adding that he understood that 'people are scared.'

He added that he had noticed changes among people he meets. His hairstylist, a woman with Muslim background, 'yesterday cancelled me as a customer,' Westergaard said.

Rejecting Westergaard's work was a kind of stigmatization, Rasmussen told reporters, adding that he did not want to dictate what auction houses sell.

Denmark had to realize that it was necessary to be prepared for threats, the premier said.

'We are doing what we can, and are ready to do more, to protect ourselves against threats. But we cannot wish them away. They are here to stay,' he said.

Other critics of the auction house include Culture Minister Carina Christensen, Villy Sovndal of the opposition Socialist People's Party, and Pia Kjaersgaard who heads the populist Danish People's Party that backs the government.