Posted on 01/03/2010 11:17:08 AM PST by Free ThinkerNY
Just when Denmark thought the worst was over, Islamic fury has come back to haunt it with an assassination attempt on the artist whose cartoon of the prophet Muhammad as a suicide bomber had an explosive impact four years ago on the Muslim world.
An axe-wielding Somali extremist broke into the home of Kurt Westergaard on Friday night as the 75-year-old cartoonist was looking after Stephanie, his five-year-old granddaughter.
Westergaard, whose little ink drawing of Muhammad with a bomb in his turban sparked riots throughout the Middle East in 2006, has received numerous death threats. He pressed an alarm button to summon police when the attacker entered the house in Aarhus, Denmark’s second city, by breaking a window.
He did not have time to collect the child from the living room before locking himself into a “panic room”, a specially fortified bathroom. He said the assailant had shouted “swear words, really crude words” and shrieked about “blood” and “revenge”, as he smashed the axe in vain against the bathroom door.
“I feared for my grandchild,” he told Jyllands-Posten, the newspaper that had commissioned the cartoon. “But she did great. I knew that he wouldn’t do anything to her.” He went on: “It was close, really close. But we did it.”
The attacker, who was also carrying a knife, shouted, “I’ll be back”, before going outside to confront police. He smashed a police car window with the axe and was shot in the hand and a knee when he threw the axe at an officer. He appeared in court on a stretcher yesterday to be charged with the attempted murder of Westergaard and the policeman.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
His Code Pink membership is in the mail.
One would think so, but the guy is 75 years old. Maybe he is too feeble to properly handle a gun.
Pretty lame excuse but just throwing it out there
That poor child will go to her grave knowing one thing: Grandpa ran and hid and left me alone with a demon.
Probably not. “shoot to kill” doesn’t register in Europe. It’s more like “shoot to upset” or “shoot to reprimand”.
As for the perp; it is a shame when the 'axe flew'; the bullets were not better aimed. Am sorry as well; they even mention the 'panic/safe room' as a get away.
Whatever the truth of the matter here; we know Mr. Westergaard has sacrificed a great deal on behalf of freedom, free speech and truth. Like Geert Wilders and a host of others who refuse to pull the Muslim line; these individuals are to be commended; honored and appreciated.
Am grateful for all courageous efforts here. And I wish all of them; including Westergaard's entire family, safe keeping.
Truth in a 'free society' should not come at such a price.
“He left his granddaughter out there? Wow...”
What a low life. Cartoon was spot on,,, but that’s disgusting to flee and leave his granddaughter out there with him.
Move to Switzerland, buy a gun, problem solved.
That’s what I thought. He will regret it for the rest of his life and his little granddaughter will never forget it. I don’t understand how you do that...leave a child out there. He is 75 though, so maybe he just reacted before thnking. Who knows...
Because as in most "enlightened" European countries you can not have a firearm to protect yourself from murderous fanatics.
If he were my dad, he would never watch my child again. And what were these parents thinking anyway? Numerous death threats? So you send your child over to visit Gramps?
This man has otherwise shown signs of great courage and determination in his 'cause for truth and justice' and see no - or maybe little - reason to attack him.
OTOH; had he stayed with her; she may have witnessed a 'God-awful' sight that would impact her for the rest of her life; or it may have then been 'ok' for gunman to take her out as well; after 'Grand Father'. . .
Am thankful this did not have the ending intended by perp; though do wish, again, that police had taken better aim. Now, to see, what happens next. . .and what kind of Justice will be served.
One might reasonably expect that ‘special circumstances’ call for ‘special considerations’. . .but noooooo; and no reason, really, to expect the reasonable from any Liberal governance.
He’s 75; maybe not as quick physically or mentally, if you know what I mean. Plus, living in a socialist country, he wouldn’t know which end of the gun to use most likely. A tried and true member of the nanny state, too.
Lauren B wrote: "Anyone with an ounce of integrity would have risked life and limb to ensure the safety of a (any) child. But no, he lives in a house with a panic room and thinks of himself first." Initally I had the same reaction as above when reading that Westergaard did not have time to collect the child from the living room, but then I actually used my brain and thought, "wait a minute - I wasn't there!" Maybe this man was just seconds away from being bludgeoned to death when he realised that he could not possibly get past the much younger, much stronger axe-weilding maniac to get to the child. Maybe she was on the other side of the house and maybe he knew that he had no chance of being a hero and maybe he thought that she would hear the commotion and, being a tiny child, she could hide which would give her a better chance of survival than if he drew the maniac's attention to the fact that she was in the house. And maybe he didn't think it would be good for the child to witness her grandfather being hacked to death before her eyes. So maybe we should suspend judgment until we are in the exact same situation?
To which I would say "I can quite categorically state that if I had found myself in the same position and did what he did, I would quite rightly be deeply ashamed of myself and would remain so until the end of my days".
My panic rooms have guns in them. Its the “Easy Button” for dealing with home invasion.
Wow. I’m amazed at all the “grandpa threw her to the wolves” nonsense.
An old man had seconds to react. If he were a young man he still would have done the right thing.
He was the target. As long as he and the child were separated it bought time. Time for the police to arrive. Which is exactly what happened.
Had he ran for the child, they would have both been killed.
Now that the lunatics know that he had a "panic" room, they'll just bomb the place next time. I suggest he move.
as cricket pointed out there ar3 other reports on this incident that say he did take his granddaughter with him
ABC for one
http://abcnews.go.com/WN/muhammad-cartoonist-fled-panic-room-escape-intruder-ax/story?id=9465442&page=1
“Armed with an ax and knife, the suspect entered the artist’s home shouting threats of “blood” and “revenge,” according to Westergaard, before he and his granddaughter, who was in the home on a sleepover, fled into a specifically created safe room and awaited police who arrived two minutes later.
Seems to me, that's just what they would do to make him suffer...can't get him, get the one he loves.
. . .and another reason, no doubt; that Grand Father may have felt 'right' in his safety run. But agree; had he taken her; he may have risked far greater than by going it alone. ..
This man has walked a path that few of us here would be willing to 'brave'. Think condemning him is a mistake and only puts one on the side of the jihadist perps who will no doubt celebrate the castigations against this man, who has already demonstrated an uncommon courage against an uncommon enemy.
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