Swedish Newspaper Defends Publishing Mohammad Drawing

A Swedish newspaper on Wednesday defended its publication of a drawing depicting the head of the Muslim Prophet Mohammad on the body of a dog, following an official protest from Iran.

A Swedish newspaper on Wednesday defended its publication of a drawing depicting the head of the Muslim Prophet Mohammad on the body of a dog, following an official protest from Iran.

Daily Nerikes Allehanda published the drawing last week, prompting the Iranian government to summon Sweden's charge d'affaires in Tehran on Monday to object to what it called a disrespectful drawing.

The drawing was by Swedish artist Lars Vilks and was part of a series which art galleries in Sweden had declined to display. The newspaper published the image in what it called a defence of free speech.

"This is unacceptable self-censorship," the newspaper wrote in an editorial on its Web site on Wednesday, referring to the reluctance by galleries to exhibit Vilks's drawings.

"The right to freedom of religion and the right to blaspheme religions go together," it wrote.

Last year, Muslims around the world launched a firestorm of protest after a Danish newspaper published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad that were reprinted by other European newspapers.

Sweden's Muslim Council, an umbrella organisation for Islamic groups in the country, took issue with Nerikes Allehanda's arguments.

Helena Benauda, chair of the council, said she was surprised because the newspaper had been involved in a dialogue with Muslims following the Danish controversy.

"I think they did understand our point of view -- that you should not publish pictures that could be seen as racist, xenophobic or anti-Semitic," Benauda told Reuters.

Ulf Johansson, editor-in-chief of Nerikes Allehanda, said there was a difference between how his newspaper was approaching the issue and the Danish case.

"This newspaper has always been very eager to defend Muslim rights in Sweden and freedom of religion overall. But we are also very clear that the freedom of speech goes hand-in-hand with that."

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Added: Friday, June 20, 2008, 14:46 (BST)

Billal i think thats one of the fundamental difference between Islam and Christianity. Jesus says if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other one also. In other words, let yourself be hit and hit again. Anger is the root of so much evil and murder. Jesus says that it is never justified, even if we have been insulted. And we've got to take it out of our hearts, full stop.

Lizzie S, Liverpool

Added: Thursday, June 19, 2008, 16:58 (BST)

Hi, Freedom of religion works with the idea that a person is free to accept or reject a religion by his/her choice it does not give anyone the right to insult, ridicule, or blaspheme any point of belief or Primary leader of that religion. Within the religion of Islam is it wrong to disgrace other religions or its people purely in the way of criticism let alone satirical views. Allah (God) has mentioned in the Qur'an that all religions are to be respected and not ridiculed. This goes along with the idea that you will never find scholars of credible standing in the Muslims speaking in this way about any other religions, however, the comments they make on it will be a theological and academic one in light of the Qur'an and the way of the Prophet (known as Sunnah). The honour of the Prophet Muhammad is something that is commanded to be protected and the Prophet himself did declare a truce with the local Jewish community of Medina that "a person can hate me or disbelieve in my message and teachings but public disgrace and ill speech about me in public is not condoned". That is why there is such outrage at these images which depict the Prophet disgracefully to say the least and the poepl who create these images and publish them are blameworthy as the Muslims dont insult other faiths or lack thereof and would appreciate the same in return. Allah says "He (Muhammad) is the best example among you", "obey Allah and obey His messenger". The reaction would be the same with the Vaticans if they were shown images in the likeness of Jesus in the same fashion, and funnily so, if this happened with Jesus I would be a t the forefront of complaint in this regard as we are to defend all the Apostles of God to which Jesus belongs. I urge those who look negatively at the Prophet Muhammad to refute the beliefs or cannons of the religion with due evidence rather than resorting to defamation and insults. Thanks

Billal Ahmed, Leeds, UK

Added: Tuesday, October 16, 2007, 17:31 (BST)

What crime? A cartoon is a cartoon, nothing else. Nobody has a right to "not be offended" by anyone. Anyone who thinks so is wicked themselves! Free speech is more valuable to the world than worrying about offending a group of persons and their insane beliefs. I will buy more products from Sweden and Denmark!

Brian, Des Moines, USA

Added: Sunday, September 2, 2007, 21:16 (BST)

A Somali saying says: Hit the stick/rod around the fool, and if he does not understand(make a response), hit him in the flank. The West as a whole is like a donkey and its two ears, no difference at all. Some say we defend freedom of speech, freedom of religion and other so-called freedoms. The story is like a court where there are a plaintiff and a defendent, here also the plaintiff is the very judge who has to decide over the matter. When Aljazeera's correspondent in Sweden asked whether he could write something about the so-called and exaggerated holocost the wicked editor of this infamous paper. He said they could not write about it. Muslim countries must take action against Sweden which has defended the violation of our Faith and blasphemy of our BELOVED PROPHET PEACE OF ALLAH BE UPON HIM. Their products must be boycotted. The Islamic Ummah has to impose sanction on Sweden for committing such an awful crime against Islam

Gobanimo, Jigjiga, Ethiopia

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