Danish Muslims denounce newspaper

Danish Muslims have strongly condemned one of the country’s largest newspapers for publishing drawings of the Prophet Muhammad.

Nearly 150,000 Muslims live in Denmark

A group of 16 Muslim organisations issued a statement on Wednesday demanding that Jyllands-Posten apologise for printing the drawings.

 

“The newspaper has with its action deliberately stepped on Islam’s ethical and moral values with the purpose of contempt and ridiculing Muslims’ feelings, their holy sites and their religious symbols,” the group said.

 

On 30 September, the Jyllands-Posten daily printed 12 drawings by Danish cartoonists who had been asked to illustrate the prophet.

 

Jyllands-Posten, citing the freedom of speech, said it would not apologise for printing the drawings.

 

The paper said that after printing the drawings it received several threats, which have been reported to the police.

 

Nearly 150,000 Muslims live in Denmark, representing 2.8% of the country’s 5.4 million residents.

 

Islam bans depictions of Prophet Muhammad.

Source: AFP