HELSINKI: Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, whose picture of the Prophet Muhammad sporting a bomb as a turban was on the middle of widespread anti-Danish anger within the Muslim world within the mid-2000s, has died.
He was 86.
Westergaard’s household introduced his dying to Danish media late Sunday and informed the newspaper Berlingske that Westergaard died in his sleep after an extended interval of sickness.
Danish media reported that he died July 14, a day after his birthday.
From the early Nineteen Eighties, Westergaard labored as a cartoonist for Jyllands-Posten, one among Denmark’s main newspapers, and was related to the day by day till he turned 75.
Westergaard grew to become recognized worldwide in 2005 for his controversial depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in Jyllands-Posten, which printed 12 editorial cartoons of the principal determine of Islam.
Muslims contemplate photographs of the prophet to be sacrilegious and inspiring idolatry.
The photographs, significantly Westergaard’s, sparked an enormous wave of anger within the Muslim world and escalated into violent anti-Denmark protests by Muslims worldwide in 2006.
A number of newspapers in neighbouring Norway additionally printed the controversial cartoons.
Danish and Norwegian embassies in Syria had been burned down by indignant crowds through the demonstrations.
Political observers within the Nordic international locations have described the cartoon incident as one of the vital extreme international coverage crises for each Denmark and Norway of their current histories.
Within the aftermath of the uproar, Westergaard obtained a number of dying threats and was compelled to have police safety.
In 2008, three folks had been arrested for planning to kill him, and in 2010 a 28-year-old Somali man broke into his house with an ax and knife.
The person was later sentenced to 10 years in jail.
“I wish to be remembered because the one who struck a blow for the liberty of expression. However there is no doubt that there are some who will as an alternative keep in mind me as a Devil who insulted the faith of over 1 billion folks,” Westergaard stated, in response to Berlingske.
Jyllands-Posten stated in an editorial printed Monday that with the dying of Westergaard “it’s extra essential than ever to emphasise that the wrestle for freedom of expression, which grew to become his future, is the wrestle of all of us for freedom.”
Westergaard is survived by his spouse and 5 youngsters, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Funeral preparations weren’t instantly recognized.
