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He became world famous in 2005 for his controversial depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in the newspaper. Westergaard's cartoon, which showed a turban bomb, was one of 12 published by the newspaper to make a point about self-censorship and criticism of Islam. Depictions of the Prophet Muhammad are widely regarded as taboo in Islam, and are offensive to some Muslims. The newspaper's cartoons prompted protests in Denmark, while its government received complaints from the ambassadors of Muslim-majority countries. The anger culminated in protests across the Muslim world in February 2006. Danish embassies were attacked and dozens died in riots.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel risked angering Muslims by speaking at an awards ceremony on Wednesday for a Dane whose cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed provoked sometimes violent protests by Muslims five years ago. The 75-year-old cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, whose drawings of Mohammed that offended Muslims worldwide first appeared in Danish paper Jyllands-Posten in 2005, was due to receive a prize on Wednesday evening at a conference on freedom of the press. At a time of fierce debate in Germany over disparaging remarks about Muslim immigrants made by a central bank member, some Muslims criticized the center-right chancellor and the media...

... It was like listening to the blind talk about art, the deaf about music or eunuchs discussing sex based on hearsay. Because with the exception of the left-wing Die Tageszeitung, the conservative Die Welt and the centrist Die Zeit, every German newspaper and magazine followed the advice of Green Party co-leader Claudia Roth, who said "de-escalation begins at home," and erred on the side of caution by not republishing the cartoons. Prominent German psychoanalyst advised: "The West should refrain from any provocations that produce feelings of debasement or humiliation." Of course, ... left open the question of whether "the...

Danish police have shot and wounded a man at the home of Kurt Westergaard, whose cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad sparked an international row. Mr. Westergaard was at home Aarhus when a man broke in and threatened him. He pressed a panic button and police entered the house and shot the man. Danish police said the intruder was a 28 year-old Somali linked to the radical Islamist al-Shabab militia.......

Danish police say they have shot an al Qaeda-linked man armed with an axe who broke into the home of a controversial cartoonist. Police say the 28-year-old Somali man was trying to kill Kurt Westergaard, who triggered worldwide protests after drawing cartoons of Islam's Prophet Mohammed. The intruder was linked to Somali terror organisation al Shabaab and al Qaeda leaders in east Africa, police said. The intruder was shot twice and is being held in custody. Lotte Mejlhede, of TV2, told Sky News Mr Westergaard, 74, fled to a safe room at his Aarhus home after spotting the would-be attacker.

COPENHAGEN – Denmark's intelligence service says police have foiled an attempt to kill cartoonist Kurt Westergaard — the artist who drew cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad, causing outrage in the Muslim world. Jakob Scharf, who heads the PET intelligence service, says a 28-year-old Somalia man was armed with an axe and a knive when he entered Westergaard's home in Aarhus. The Somali man was shot by police in the knee and the shoulder during the Friday attack. Preben Nielsen of the police in Aarhus, where the attack took place, said the suspect was seriously injured but his life was not...

Intruder Shot At Danish Cartoonist's Home Sat Jan 2 2010 Danish police shot and wounded a 27-year-old man trying to enter the Aarhus home of Kurt Westergaard, who drew controversial cartoons of Islam's prophet Mohammed, Danish media reported.

Shooting At Home Of Mohammed Cartoonist 12:58am UK, Saturday January 02, 2010 Rob Cole, Sky News Online Danish police have shot a man trying to break into the home of a controversial cartoonist armed with an axe. Police attend scene of break-in at home of the Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard. Police attend scene of break-in at home of the Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard A 27-year-old Somalian was wounded in the incident at the Aarhus home of Kurt Westergaard, 74, who drew cartoons of Islam's prophet Mohammed. Guards stopped three men trying to break into the house, Danish media reported. The...

Danish police shot and wounded a 27-year-old man trying to enter the Aarhus home of Kurt Westergaard, who drew controversial cartoons of Islam's prophet Mohammed, Danish media reported

Danish authorities say a Somali man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder for an attack on an artist whose cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad ignited riots and outrage across the Muslim world. Jakob Scharf, head of Denmark's intelligence agency, said the 28-year-old Somali man with ties to al-Qaida broke into Kurt Westergaard's home in Aarhus on Friday night. The 75-year-old artist pressed an alarm and fled with his 5-year-old granddaughter to a special safe room. Police say they then shot the attacker in the hand and knee when he threatened them. The suspect was charged at a...

COPENHAGEN – Police foiled an attempt to kill an artist who drew cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad that sparked outrage in the Muslim world, the head of Denmark's intelligence service said Saturday. Jakob Scharf, who heads the PET intelligence service, said a 28-year-old Somalia man was armed with an ax and a knife when he attempted to enter Kurt Westergaard's home in Aarhus shortly after 10 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Friday.

In early October, Kurt Westergaard, a Danish cartoonist, visited Princeton and Yale, two of America’s top universities, to speak to students, who are supposed to be tomorrow’s elite. The students did not feel any sympathy – indeed, were almost hostile – towards Mr. Westergaard, an artist who has been living under constant police protection since he drew a cartoon of Muhammad, the founder of Islam, four years ago. Mr. Westergaard arrived at both Princeton and Yale heavily guarded by policemen. Ten officers kept watch inside the room – with more on guard outside – when he addressed his audience in...

A Danish cartoonist, responsible for one of the caricatures of Mohammed which sparked worldwide anger from Muslims in 2005, has accused the BBC of appeasing radical Islam. Kurt Westergaard says the BBC will not air a recent interview with him because it is terrified of upsetting extremist Muslims. The 73-year-old cartoonist gave his first ever English interview to a BBC journalist four weeks ago. Since then it has not been broadcast, amid claims that the BBC is frightened of “inflaming” Muslims. Mr Westergaard told the Daily Mail newspaper, “I am disappointed on behalf of the freedom of speech. “Every time...

An Exclusive Right Side News Interview©2009 On Sept. 15, 2008, the editor of Danish daily Berlingske Tidende summoned historian and columnist Lars Hedegaard to his office to lower the proverbial ax. He received a transparently suspicious explanation. "I'd been tedious and repetitive, and they needed younger people," he said. "I thought, they're not going to get me. There will be a record of what I've done these nine years." The pun on page 22 is lost in translation. In Danish, 'Skat' means both honey or beloved and taxation. Danish is the only language in the world where tax and honey...

A Danish cartoonist and ten newspaper editors have reportedly been summoned by Jordan's public prosecutor on charges of "blasphemy" for reprinting cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. According to the Copenhagen Post, prosecutor Hassan Abdullat has subpoenaed the 11 Danes for drawing and reprinting cartoons they say offend Islam, charging them with "threatening the national peace." Under Jordanian law, reproducing images of the Prophet Muhammad inside — or even outside the country — is illegal under the Jordanian Justice Act, the newspaper wrote. A lawyer representing "The Prophet Unites Us," a Jordanian group angling for the prosecution, said that if the...

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Danish police said Tuesday they have arrested several people suspected of plotting to kill one of the 12 cartoonists behind the Prophet Muhammad drawings that sparked an uproar in the Muslim world two years ago. The arrests were made in pre-dawn raids in Aarhus, western Denmark, "to prevent a terror-related murder," the police intelligence agency said. It did not say how many people were arrested nor did it mention which cartoonist was targeted. However, according to Jyllands-Posten, the Danish newspaper that first published the drawings on Sept. 30, 2005, the suspects were planning to kill its...