Amman - The Danish cartoonist who drew caricatures of the
Prophet Mohammed three years ago which sparked worldwide protests by
Muslims and a boycott of Danish products said he was ready to defend
himself in an Amman court, Jordanian media reported Thursday.
'I would like to go to Amman to stand trial. However, what I fear
is that I would be convicted in advance,' Kurt Westergaard told the
Jordan Times in an interview that was conducted in Copenhagen earlier
this week.
On June 3, Amman Prosecutor Hassan Abdullat subpoenaed Westergaard
and 20 other Danish journalists and editors involved in the
republication of the 12 controversial images that were originally
published in Denmark's Jyllands-Posten in September 2005.
The decision came in response to a lawsuit filed in April by a
coalition of media outlets, professional syndicates and political
parties.
The prosecutor's move was based on articles in the Jordanian penal
code and the country's Press and Publication Law.
Westergaard said he had learnt that he had been subpoenaed by the
Amman prosecutor, but that he had not been officially notified of the
subpoena.
Asked about the rationale behind the pictures, the 73-year-old
artist said, 'I made the cartoons to highlight that there are some
terrorists who misuse Islam and they take it as their spiritual
ammunition.'
'I wanted to depict the terrorists as if they were taking the
Prophet Mohammed as a hostage. I have no problems with Islam but with
the terrorists.'
Westergaard described himself as an atheist and stressed his
respect for Islam and all religions, but refused to apologize.
'I respect Islam and its followers and I have nothing against it.
However, I will not apologize. We have freedom of the press and
religion in Denmark,' he said.
The Jordan Times also quoted Toger Seidenfaden, chief editor of
the Danish daily Politiken, as saying that he was ready to face court
in Jordan.
Seidenfaden said he had also not been officially informed of the
summoning by the Danish authorities.
Politiken was among 17 Danish publications which reprinted the
controversial images in February, igniting a new round of protest
across the Islamic world.
Seidenfaden said that he was critical of the cartoons, because
they were designed to 'humiliate and provoke Muslims here in Denmark
and abroad,' but explained that reprinting them was part of normal
coverage of important issues.
He pointed out that Danish newspapers had republished the cartoons
about 16 times after the Danish police foiled an attempt to kill the
cartoonist who drew them.
'We used them as a kind of documentation to show the public what
we are talking about in the stories,' Seidenfaden said.
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