Danish Affairs

The danish left-wing newspaper Dagbladet Politiken brings a cartoon depicting an Arab and a camel in spoon position.

(Cartoonist: Wulff Morgenthaler. Click to enlarge picture)

“I know well, that you love the spoon position, but it is to hard for my back. I´m sorry, Honey…“

Dagbladet Politiken was among the strongest critics of the 12 mohamed drawings originally printed by Jyllands-posten. While Jyllands-Posten´s drawings made fun of a a long dead religious figure, the left wing Politiken has obviously no problem with a derogatory, racist, chauvinistic and stereotypical caricature of a bestialistic Arab.

Hat tip: Monokultur

Mohamed-drawer Kurt Westergaard is not happy with Geert Wilders´ “misuse” of his famous drawing in the movie ‘Fitna’.

But who is misusing who? And if this is misuse, then how do we use a Mohamed drawing properly?

Kurt Westergaard:

“My cartoon has been misused again. It has been pulled from its original context and set in a completely different one”

“It is a drawing aimed specifically against Islamic terror that uses interpretations of the Koran and Islam as spiritual ammunition,” Westergaard said.

“Wilders has not asked me for permission, so it is simply a case of violation of copyright rules,” Expatica.com

Kurt Westergaard has described himself as a “cultural Christian, a culture-liberal Atheist“.

The culture-liberal atheist´s reactions to the recent development of the Mohamed crisis tend to a surprisingly sympathetic, almost regretful view upon the religion Islam.

That the drawing wasn´t meant as a critique of Islam as such, and his strong emphasising of the context rest on the premises that clear distinctions between islamism and Islam, between Islam as religion and Islam as a political ideology do exist are are self explanatory.

The cartoonist thereby walks away from the drawing desk and is now navigating the muddy waters of vaguely defined concepts of islamic terror, islamism, religious fundamentalism, moderate Islam etc.

Using a copyright lawsuit the ‘islamic-terror-critic’ (not to be confused with ‘islam-critic’) cartoonist is re-branding himself by criticising what he calls “radical right-wing forces”.

According to Jyllands-Posten March 28th Westergaard´s lawyer is currently trying to close down the website SIAD.dk (Stop Islamiseringen Af Danmark). SIAD has made use of parts of KW´s Mohamed drawing during a recent protest demonstration against Sharia loans. SIADs website also hosts the Fitna movie.

The Danish Union Of Journalist (DUJ) supports Westergaard´s case and DUJ is preparing a lawsuit against Geert Wilders.

To defend a drawers copyright is understandable and reasonable. But on the other hand it is quite ironic that a journalist union is opposing what essentially is a common interest; a struggle for freedom of speech, which makes copyright issues a completely irrelevant detail.

Grave abuse of Danish cartoon in Dutch film

The Danish Union of Journalists (DUJ) and Kurt Westergaard take vigorous exception to the use of Westergaard’s drawing in the Dutch politician Geert Wilders’ film. DUJ intends to take legal action against the politician for grave violation of Westergaard’s author’s right (copyright). It was never the intention of Kurt Westergaard that his drawing should be used in the manner and context it is used in the film “Fitna” by the Dutch politician Geert Wilders. Therefore, DUJ is now taking the first steps towards filing suit against the politician for his unauthorized abuse of the Danish drawing.

DUJ Press release in english (opens PDF)

A press release from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemns Geert Wilders´Islam-critical film ‘Fitna’.

UN thereby acknowledges state censorship to protect the religion of Islam against criticism. UN has once again lost its trustworthiness and cannot be relied on as a protector of human rights.

To postulate that this is only about a conflict between small minorities of extremists - and at the same time condemning a 15 min. footage of quranic hate-speech is an intellectually dishonest stance, a treason against fundamental western values and the western and non-western victims of Islam. It is an obvious attempt to kill the messenger of an inconvenient truth.

Following is the text of the statement by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the film Fitna:

I condemn, in the strongest terms, the airing of Geert Wilders’ offensively anti-Islamic film. There is no justification for hate speech or incitement to violence. The right of free expression is not at stake here. I acknowledge the efforts of the Government of the Netherlands to stop the broadcast of this film, and appeal for calm to those understandably offended by it. Freedom must always be accompanied by social responsibility.

The United Nations is the centre of the world’s efforts to advance mutual respect, understanding and dialogue. We must also recognize that the real fault line is not between Muslim and Western societies, as some would have us believe, but between small minorities of extremists on different sides with a vested interest in stirring hostility and conflict. UN