On September 30 2005, the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, some of which were extremely demonizing in their outspoken anti-Muslim symbolism. Four months later violent protests erupted outside Danish embassies in some Muslim countries, and the terror threat against Denmark increased dramatically. Yet what happened during those four months, and could the escalation of the crisis have been prevented? Was it simply about freedom of speech and a “clash of civilizations” or were other agendas in play?
This is the introduction to an essay written in 2010 by idea historian and humanist Rune Engelbreth Larsen in 2010. Though there have been many books, thousands of articles and a number of TV programs dedicated to analysing the events surrounding the Danish cartoon crisis, few commentators have taken as much care and time as Larsen to explore its origins. The full text of the essay, entitled ‘The Cartoon Crisis – how and why it all began in Denmark’ is available on his site Panhumanism.com, along with other collected pieces including those of particular relevance shown below.
The Danish Caricature Crisis – an Investigation of Background and Responsibilities (2006)
Danish Hate Speech and Xenophobia (2006)