Editor 'under inhuman pressure'
2006-02-10 14:01
Copenhagen - The Jyllands-Posten editor who commissioned cartoons of Prophet Mohammad which have angered Muslims worldwide has been sent on holiday after suggesting he will print Iranian cartoons of the Holocaust.
The Danish newspaper published the cartoons of the prophet last September. Muslims considered images of the prophet to be blasphemous and tensions flared in the Middle East in January after other European newspapers reprinted the cartoons in the name of free speech.
Jyllands-Posten editor Carsten Juste said: "The Editors have told Flemming Rose to take a vacation because no one can understand the kind of pressure he has been under." Juste was not available for comment.
Newspaper makes public apology
Flemming Rose, Jyllands-Posten's culture editor, said he would consider publishing proposed Iranian cartoons of the Holocaust. The newspaper later made a public apology and played down his comments.
Juste said: "Flemming Rose has expressed regret for his error of judgement that must be ascribed to the fact that, during the past four months, he has experienced inhumanly hard pressure and been besieged by Danish as well as international media almost around the clock."
In a challenge to Western values of free speech, an Iranian newspaper had said it would run a competition for cartoons of the Holocaust during which the Nazis killed nearly six million Jews.
Juste said: "Under no circumstances will we allow ourselves to be latched onto the tasteless media stunt of an Iranian newspaper."