AMMAN, 14 Aug 2008: The Danish artist and editor involved in the Prophet Muhammad cartoon dispute will face trial in the Jordanian capital, Xinhua news agency quoted a local daily as reporting.
Kurt Westergaard, the 73-year-old cartoonist whose depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in the Jyllands-Posten in September 2005 sparked worldwide fury, said he was ready to go to Amman to stand trial to defend himself.
He said the 12 drawings were intended to show that some terrorists misuse Islam and hold the Prophet Muhammad hostage.
He said: “I respect Islam and its followers, and have nothing against it. However, I will not apologise. We have freedom of the press and religion in Denmark.”
Toger Seidenfaden, chief editor of the Politiken, a Danish daily that republished the cartoons 16 times, said he was also ready to defend himself in court.
The cartoons, most of which depicted the Prophet Muhammad, were reprinted in other countries, leading to anger and sometimes violent protests across the Muslim world.
On 3 June 2008, Amman Prosecutor General Hassan Abdallat subpoenaed several Danish journalists and editors in response to a lawsuit filed in April 2008 by a local media-led campaign. – Bernama
