The family of Danish artist Kurt Westergaard told the Danish media on Sunday that he is known for drawing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, which sparked outrage in the Muslim world at the age of 86.
Westgard’s family told the “Berlinsk” that after a long period of poor health, he died in his sleep.
In 2005, the conservative daily Jyllands-Posten published 12 illustrations under the title “The Face of Muhammad”, one of which caused particular anger. Islamic tradition says that the image of a prophet should not be made or displayed.
In 2006, the anger escalated into anti-Danish violence throughout the Muslim world. Dozens of people died and the Danish embassy was attacked, including the embassy in Damascus, which was burned down.
Manga-related violence eventually led to 2015 massacre In France, 12 people were killed in the Paris office of the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, which reprinted the cartoons in 2012.
total 17 people were murdered in three days In a series of attacks that shocked France. All three attackers were killed in a gun battle with the police, leaving only their accomplices to stand trial.
The personal death threats to Westgard eventually forced him to go into hiding. In 2008, after the arrest of three men who planned to murder the artist, the three major Danish newspapers reprinted the cartoon. One of them was acquitted, the other was deported, and the third was taken to an asylum center.
In early 2010, the Danish police captured a 28-year-old Somalis Knife And the axe in Westgard’s house, where he plans to kill him.
Westergaard has been working at the Jutland Post since the mid-1980s as an illustrator. According to Berlinske, the painting was printed once, but it did not cause much controversy.
In the last few years of his life, Westgard, like some others related to comics, had to live under the protection of a secret policeman.
Agence France-Presse
