mediawatchwatch.org.uk

The recent attempt on Motoon creator Kurt Westergaard’s life by an axe-wielding Islamaniac has hit the headlines all over the world – with several newspapers even daring to publish the controversial cartoon which prompted Danish imams to stoke up the outrage in the first place.

Motoons: The page from Jan 8 Aftenposten (left), and murder-attempt victim Kurt Westergaard

Norway’s Aftenposten (link to Googlish translation) is one of them. It lists the countries in which other newspapers have chosen to illustrate the story with the relevant drawing. They include Portugal, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Suriname.

Aftenposten editor Hilde Haugsgjerd has no doubts about showing the cartoons:

we think it is natural and appropriate to republish the artistic and journalistic work which probably prompted this violent action.

UPDATE: Add Norway’s Dagbladet to the list. In a leading article they create their own version of Westergaard’s “Turbomb” as well as reprinting a facsimile of the original Jyllands-Posten page with all 12 Motoons.

UPDATE: (Jan 10) Pakistan’s Foreign Office has predictably condemned the reprinting of the cartoons by Aftenposten, urging the Norwegian government to “ensure that the people who committed this blasphemous act were appropriately reprimanded.”

UPDATE: (Jan 15) The Iranian goverment, that paragon of virtue and purity, has now joined Pakistan in condemnation of Norway.

You cannot use the excuse of freedom of expression to justify insulting the beliefs of 1.5 billion Muslim.

Can. Do.