Paper turned down Jesus cartoon
2006-02-08 16:34
Copenhagen - The Danish newspaper which
first published caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad that have
angered Muslims worldwide had previously turned down cartoons of
Jesus as too offensive, the artist said on Wednesday.
Twelve cartoons of the Prophet published last September by
Jyllands-Posten newspaper have outraged Muslims, stoking violent
protests in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
"My cartoon, which certainly did not offend any Christians I
showed it to, was rejected because the editor felt it would be
considered offensive to readers - readers in general, not
necessarily Christians," said cartoonist Christoffer Zieler.
Unlike Muslims, who consider depictions of the Prophet to be
deeply offensive, many Christians adorn churches with images and
sculptures of Jesus.
But Christian congregations have protested
at sacrilegious portrayals, especially in the cinema.
Not the same editor
In an e-mail to Reuters, Zieler said his drawings were
rejected by the newspaper's Sunday edition three years ago.
One
sequence of his cartoons published by a Norwegian paper this
weekend lampoons the Christian tradition of Jesus' resurrection.
"This was not the same editor who later chose to publish the
caricatures of Muhammad that offended so many," he added.
The newspaper referred questions to the former Sunday editor
who still works at Jyllands-Posten, but he was not immediately
available for comment.
The editor of Jyllands-Posten has apologised for offending
Muslims, but defended his right to print the cartoons in the
interests of free speech.
Dozens of newspapers in Europe and
elsewhere have reproduced them with the same justification.
But Zieler said he no longer believed "a discussion of
Jyllands-Posten's lack of judgment" was any longer relevant to
the global uproar unleashed by the cartoons.
"Perhaps explaining my story of three years ago in its
proper context at least won't make matters any worse," he said.
"Perhaps ignoring it may be better."