Danish newspaper provokes uproar with apology over Muhammad cartoon

A Danish newspaper was accused yesterday of betraying the freedom of the press after it apologised to Muslims for offence caused by its reprinting a cartoon showing the Prophet Muhammad with a bomb-shaped turban. Politiken, a leading Danish newspaper, had printed the cartoon as a gesture of solidarity after three people were arrested for planning to kill the cartoonist, Kurt Westergaard. It broke ranks with its rivals to issue the apology after settling with a Saudi lawyer who is representing eight Muslim groups that complained after the cartoon was reprinted by eleven Danish newspapers. Outrage at the move was led by Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the Danish Prime Minister, Mr Westergaard — who survived an alleged attempt on his life by an Islamist axeman at his home last month — and by other newspapers including Jyllands-Posten, which first printed the cartoon. The Muslim organisations come from Australia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian territories and represent 94,923 descendants of the Prophet. They have asked for an apology, a promise not to republish the drawings and for them to be removed from websites.