'No one will draw the Prophet'

2006-02-01 21:05

Copenhagen - A storm of protests and consumer boycotts in the Middle East against Denmark suggest that opponents of freedom of expression "have won", said the editor of a newspaper that published controversial caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed in a report published on Wednesday.

Jyllands-Posten chief editor Carsten Juste said: "They have won. That is the sad fact.

"I guess that during the next generation no one in Denmark will draw the Prophet Mohammed."

Asked if he regretted last September's publication that had angered many Muslims, Juste said: "If we had known it would have led to boycotts and that Danish lives would be threatened, as we have seen, then the answer is no.

"That would not have been responsible. The costs were simply too high."

No bomb discovered

Juste issued an apology late on Monday for the publication, saying the caricatures "were not intended to be offensive".

Late on Tuesday, a bomb threat forced staff to temporarily evacuate Jyllands-Posten's main offices in Aarhus as well as its editorial offices in Copenhagen. Police did not find any bomb.

The former chief editor of Politiken newspaper Herbert Pundik suggested that a fundraising drive should be made to build a mosque with minarets and domes in Copenhagen to "create a different image of Denmark".

Govt should 'not contribute funds'

Pundik said that funds could be raised from Danish industry and media could mobilise their readers, but government should not contribute funds.

Copenhagen mayor Ritt Bjerregaard said it was a good idea and the city authorities could suggest a suitable site.

Police said on Tuesday they were monitoring groups that were mustering to organise anti-Muslim demonstrations, saying radical rightwing groups could be trying to use the row for their own purposes.

Lars Findsen, head of the Danish security service PET, said: "This may contribute to a further escalation of the situation."

- SAPA