Danish artist who created cartoons of the prophet Muhammad dies in his sleep

Copenhagen –

An artist Denmark, Kurt Westergaard, who is behind karikatur Nabi Muhammad controversial, died at the age of 86 years. The cartoon of the Prophet, drawn by Westergaard a few years ago, has sparked outrage among Muslims around the world.

As reported AFP, Monday (19/7/2021), the family told local Danish media, Berlingske, that Westergaard died in his sleep after a long illness. However, there was no further mention of his illness.

Westergaard is known to be the illustrator behind 12 caricatures published in the conservative newspaper Jyllands-Posten with the headline ‘The Face of Muhammad’.

The caricature was initially barely noticed. But after two weeks, protests against the caricature took place in Copenhagen, and ambassadors from Muslim-majority countries protested against Denmark.

Outrage over the caricatures escalated into acts of anti-Danish violence that occurred in various countries, especially Muslim-majority countries, in February 2006.

The violence over the cartoons culminated in 2015 when 12 people were killed in a brutal shooting at the offices of a satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, France. Charlie Hebdo is known to republish caricatures by Westergaard in 2012.

Westergaard has worked at Jyllands-Posten since the mid-1980s as an illustrator, and according to Berlingske, the outrageous caricature has actually been printed before but has generated little controversy.

During the last years of his life, Westergaard had to live under strict police protection at an undisclosed address. In early 2010, Danish police arrested a 28-year-old Somali who was caught carrying a knife at Westergaard’s home and plotting to kill him.

See also the video ‘Macron Denies Insulting the Prophet Muhammad’:

[Gambas:Video 20detik]

(nvc/ita)

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