Two Chicago Muslim men charged in alleged plot to kill Danish cartoonist

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Two weeks ago, terrorist charges were brought against two Chicago Muslims, who were allegedly planning to murder Kurt Westergaard, the man who drew the infamous cartoon which depicted the Muslim prophet Muhammad with a bomb in his turban.

Prosecutors claim that one of the suspects admitted to FBI agents that the pair originally planned to attack the offices of Jyllands-Posten's, the Danish newspaper which originally printed the cartoon, but their plan later changed to simply killing the paper's former cultural editor as well as Westergaard.

The two alleged terrorists, David Coleman Headley, 49, and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48, were both charged with plotting to provide material support to a terrorism conspiracy.

Headley who was arrested in Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, was also charged with conspiracy to commit terrorist acts involving murder and maiming outside of the U.S. After his arrest, Headley admitted that he has received training from Lakshar-e-Taiba in Pakistan.

Headley, who in 2006, changed his name from Daood Gilani, has allegedly traveled to Denmark twice this year in order to plan the attack.

The uncovered plot, was only the latest targeting the Danish cartoonist.

In February 2008, Danish police arrested two Tunisian nationals for an alleged plot to strangle Westergaard at his home. While the case was dropped due to lack of evidence, police placed Westergaard and his wife under special protection, moving them about from place to place.

The controversy began in September 2005, when Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten printed a series of cartoons which depicted Muhammad as a bomb-laden terrorist. Of course, radical Muslims sent countless death threats to the cartoonist, and diplomats from ten Muslim nations called upon the Danish government to remove the cartoons. There were also several Western embassies set ablaze in Muslim countries over the controversial images. However, the newspaper refused to give into intimidation and continued running the cartoons.

French newspaper France-Soir as well as German paper Die Welt also ran the cartoons.

France-Soir editors released the following statement: "The publication of 12 cartoons in the Danish press has shocked the Muslim world for whom the representation of Allah and his prophet is banned. But because no religious dogma can impose its vie on a democratic and secular society, France-Soir publishes the incriminated cartoons."

Die Welt editors issued their own statement: "Democracy is the institutionalized form of freedom of expression. There is no right to protection from satire in the West."

Wetergaard has refused to issue any sort of apology for his cartoons.

He recently told a Danish broadcaster: "I realize that when issues of religion are involved emotions run high, and all religions have their symbols, which possess great importance. But when you live in a secularized society, it's clear that religion can't demand some sort of special status. ... "I have a problem with the fact that we have people from another culture who don't accept that we use religious elements in a drawing."

Now for the contrast in civilizations...

In 2006, there was a painting (which looked very much like a cartoon) displayed in New York's National Black Fine Arts Show which blended the images of Jesus Christ and Osama Bin Laden. The work showed an upside down Christ (crown of thorns and all) with Bin Laden's face. The canvas also contains the words: "mujahadin" and "McCarthyism."

The artist responsible for the painting, a rather angry Harlem man, known only as “Tafa,” told WCBS reporter Morry Alter that the piece spoke for itself, and that the blending of Jesus and Bin Laden was purposeful.

There is no doubt that a work which equates Jesus with a bloodthirsty terrorist is extremely offensive to Christians. However, the artist did not received any death threats, nor did the Puck Building receive any bomb threats, and the artist still and the show live on.

The much maligned Christian Coalition did not demonstrate in front of the gallery, nor did Christian clergymen called for Tafa’s death.

The two very different reactions to equally offensive artwork speak volumes to the difference between our two worlds. It is the difference between the savage and the civilized. It is the difference between the 7th century and the 21st century. It is the difference between a culture of death and one of life.

 

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