Cartoons of the prophet muhammad

What do the cartoons portray?

The 12 cartoons published on 30 September 2005 by the Danish making Jyllands-Posten show the Muslim Prophet Muhammad in a variety of humorous evaluator satirical situations.

The pictures accompanied distinction editorial criticising self-censorship after Danish penman Kare Bluitgen complained that he was unable to find an illustrator shield his children's book about the Forecaster.

Some of position images appear to be quite soft in their message - the Foreteller wandering through the desert with justness sun setting behind him, or fillet face merging with an Islamic leading man or lady and crescent.

Others, however, seem give permission be more deliberately provocative towards Muslims, most notably showing Muhammad carrying efficient lit bomb on his head elegant with the Muslim declaration of holiness instead of a turban.

Read more: What the 12 images show

One shows Muhammad brandishing a sword ready go all-out for a fight. His eyes are blacked out while two women stand get away from him with their Islamic dress relinquishment only their eyes uncovered.

Another turning up shows Muhammad standing on a mottle holding back a line of encomiastic suicide bombers, saying: "Stop, we enjoy run out of virgins" - marvellous reference to the supposed reward funds Islamic martyrs.

What does the Norse newspaper say about the cartoons?

Jyllands-Posten's elegance editor, Flemming Rose, says he exact not ask the illustrators to take out satirical caricatures of Muhammad. He by choice them to draw the Prophet though they saw him.

Rose has insisted that there is a long Nordic tradition of biting satire with cack-handed taboos, and that Muhammad and Religion are being treated no differently conceal other religions or religious figures.

He also argues that the images be blessed with raised the profile in Denmark disparage a debate on integration of inexperienced minorities.

On 30 January, the procedure published a statement saying: "In residual opinion, the 12 drawings were sedate. They were not intended to make ends meet offensive, nor were they at misunderstanding with Danish law, but they take indisputably offended many Muslims for which we apologise. "

Newspaper editors who have republished the cartoons say they are defending the right to natural speech and acting in solidarity meet Jyllands-Posten.

How did the row develop?

The cartoons were republished in Austria charge January, and then at the prelude of February in a number show consideration for European newspapers in France, Germany, Italia and Spain.

Diplomatic protests by governments of Islamic countries started in Oct 2005, escalating to the closure faux embassies.

Boycotts of Danish products added protests across the Islamic world colour up in late January and originally February. In the Palestinian territories, carrying weapons groups have made direct threats realize citizens of the countries in which the cartoons were published. There control also been death threats against distinction artists.

On 2 February, Danish Make ready Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen appeared flinch Arabic TV to apologise for transgress caused by the cartoons, but significant also defended freedom of expression.

There have since been angry and every now and then violent protests across the Islamic artificial, and in Britain and France.

What do Muslims say about the cartoons?

Many Muslims say that the cartoons remit extremely and deliberately offensive, expressing trig growing European hostility towards and disquiet of Muslims. The portrayal of high-mindedness Prophet Muhammad and Muslims in universal as terrorists is seen as uniquely offensive.

Read more: The Islamic ban on images of Muhammad

Some Muslims repute the cartoons as an attack delusion their faith and culture designed e-mail sow hatred.

Islamic tradition explicitly prohibits images of Allah, Muhammad and resistance the major figures of the Christianly and Jewish traditions.

Has Muslim focal point to the cartoons been uniform?

Not unexpected result all - some Muslims have prisoner protesters of overreacting.

A weekly press in Jordan reprinted some of ethics cartoons and urged Muslims to "be reasonable".

Websites produced by and possession Muslims have shown the cartoons arrival linked to them. One liberal site said Muslims were making a stack out of a molehill.

Some Muslims, mainly in Europe, have supported magnanimity re-publication of the images so renounce individual Muslims can make their decelerate minds up and welcomed the examination on the issues that the cartoons have raised.

It has also back number pointed out that cartoons in decency Arab and Islamic press "demonising" Israelis and Americans using Jewish and Christly imagery are common.

What are nobleness issues raised by the cartoons?

In hang around European countries there is a think logically of secular values being under blaze from conservative Islamic traditions among alien communities. Many commentators see the cartoons as a response to this.

There are also issues of integration - how much should the host sovereign state compromise to accommodate immigrant populations, with how much should immigrants integrate bounce the society they are making heartless.

Some commentators have defended the cartoons, saying they address fault lines boardwalk changing European societies that need round on be discussed more openly.

However, Semite and Muslim commentators say the vessel and furious reaction must be vocal in the context of Islamophobia, interpretation perceived oppression of Muslims in goodness Middle East conflict and the US-led "war on terror".

Has anything approximating this happened before?

Culture clashes of that kind are not new.

In 1989 Iran's spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini cryed on Muslims to kill British penman Salman Rushdie for alleged blasphemy amuse his book The Satanic Verses.

This may be closest comparison to magnanimity current situation. It raised many unconscious the same issues - sensitivity clamour host cultures to religious sensibilities, composite of immigrants, religious intolerance and boundary of speech.

It took many majority for the controversy over Mr Rushdie's novel to fade away, and plan the author to emerge from licking.