Jordan to try Danish artist over Mohammed cartoon

[Gerald]

AMMAN (AFP) - A Jordanian court will begin this month the trial of Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard over a controversial caricature of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed, but it was unclear if he will attend.

Zakarya Sheikh, spokesman for a group of local media outlets that sued Westergaard in 2008 for depicting Mohammed with a bomb in his turban, said on Thursday the artist and others have been summoned by a magistrates' court in Amman to stand trial on April 25."

A copy of the subpoena obtained by AFP says Westergaard "is accused of the crime of blasphemy."

"These legal measures seek to prevent attempts to insult Islam and incite racial hatred against Muslims worldwide, particularly in Europe," Sheikh told AFP.

A Jordanian prosecutor summoned Westergaard for questioning in 2008 after 30 independent newspapers, websites and radio stations in Jordan sued him over his cartoon, which was republished in at least 17 Danish dailies, sparking violent protests in a number of Muslim countries, including the kingdom.

He has been quoted in local news reports as saying that he "would like to go to Amman to stand trial. However, what I fear is that I am convicted in advance."

"I wanted to depict the terrorists as if they were taking the Prophet Mohammed as a hostage. I have no problem with Islam but with the terrorists," he said, insisting that he respects Islam but "will not apologise."

http://www.islamtribune.com/2011/04/...d-cartoon.html


Note: April 14, 2011