According to the Danish online newspaper eJour, 143 newspapers in 56 countries around the globe, including Christian and Muslim ones, have so far republished one or more of the Muhammad cartoons, first published by the Danish daily Jyllands-Posten in September. (See the twelve cartoons here, halfway the page) A list of the countries can be found here. 13 newspapers in 9 countries, including Egypt, had published one or more of the cartoons before the Norwegian Christian newspaper Magazinet republished them on January 10.
Editors have either been sacked or jailed for publishing the cartoons. In Algeria two editors have been jailed and in Indonesia a number of them were fired. In Jordan one editor was jailed. In Malaysia the government has forbidden people to show the cartoons, distribute them or even possess them. In Saudi Arabia the weekly newspaper Shams was closed by the authorities. Its editor told the AP news agency that a mufti (a Muslim scholar) had asked him to publish the cartoons “to show their ugliness and to expand the volume of anger.” In Yemen three newspapers have been closed and the editors reported to the police.
In Europe the Swedish government closed down a website of a small newspaper for publishing the cartoons. In Russia two papers were closed. In France the editor of the newspaper France Soir was sacked for publishing all the 12 cartoons, while the editor of Charlie Hebdo has been under police protection ever since his weekly published them on February 8. In Finland an editor was sacked for publishing a cartoon about the cartoons and in Italy a government minister had to resign because he wore a T-shirt depicting one of the cartoons. In France five newspapers have republished the cartoons. This makes France the country with the largest number of republishers.
A survey among Norwegian journalists indicates that 70% of them would not have published the Muhammad cartoons, while 30% said they would. The survey was carried out by sending the question by e-mail to members of the Norwegian Journalist Association. 2.600 journalists were asked and 769 replied. One of the journalists who said he would not publish, added as the reason for his answer: “I want to live.” An answer which may apply for many of his colleagues.
Meanwhile attacks against Danish websites by computer hackers continue. On February 20 there was a record when 470 websites were attacked. Usually in such cases the website is replaced by a picture related to the cartoon affair. A number of Norwegian websites have also been attacked in this way, including the website of the Pentecostal congregation in the Norwegian city of Throndheim which was replaced by a picture showing an islamist sword cutting in two a paintbrush in the colours of the Danish flag. Many hacking attempts were also directed against The Brussels Journal, but our professional webmaster succeeded in thwarting them.
In Denmark a number of Danish imams have been reported to the police for their part in inciting hatred against Denmark among Muslims both in the Middle East and elsewhere. One of them is Ahmed Akkari, the spokesman for the Danish Muslim organizations which led the protest against the Muhammad cartoons, and Ahmed Abu Laban, the leader of the organizations. Reports have come from individuals and organizations across Denmark and in such numbers that the police has issued a statement asking people kindly not to send any more.
The Danish Deputy Prime Minister, Bendt Bendtsen (Conservative Party) agrees with Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen (Liberal Party) that the role of the imams in inciting hatred against Denmark should be investigated. “The Danish flag has now been burned for weeks. What we stand for has been walked over. When this has blown over I want the preconditions for the presence of imams [in Denmark] examined. There are a number of issues which we need to look into. I find it outrageous that people whom we have allowed to stay in our country, go about and harm the country in this way,” he said.