eBook

The Cartoons That Shook the World

Klausen, Jytte

2009

Overview

On September 30, 2005, the Danish newspaperJyllands-Postenpublished twelve cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Five months later, thousands of Muslims inundated the newspaper with outpourings of anger and grief by phone, email, and fax; from Asia to Europe Muslims took to the streets in protest. This book is the first comprehensive investigation of the conflict that aroused impassioned debates around the world on freedom of expression, blasphemy, and the nature of modern Islam. Jytte Klausen interviewed politicians in the Middle East, Muslim leaders in Europe, the Danish editors and cartoonists, and the Danish imam who started the controversy. Following the winding trail of protests across the world, she deconstructs the arguments and motives that drove the escalation of the increasingly globalized conflict. She concludes that the Muslim reaction to the cartoons was not-as was commonly assumed-a spontaneous emotional reaction arising out of the clash of Western and Islamic civilizations. Rather it was orchestrated, first by those with vested interests in elections in Denmark and Egypt, and later by Islamic extremists seeking to destabilize governments in Pakistan, Lebanon, Libya, and Nigeria. Klausen shows how the cartoon crisis was, therefore, ultimately a political conflict rather than a colossal cultural misunderstanding.

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Subject: 21st century / Blasphemy / Blasphemy (Islam) / Blasphemy (Islam) -- Case studies / Caricatures and cartoons / Caricatures and cartoons -- Political aspects -- Denmark / Caricatures and cartoons -- Political aspects -- Islamic countries / Cartoons / Case studies / Christianity and other religions / Christianity and other religions -- Islam -- Case studies / Denmark / Denmark -- Relations -- Islamic countries / Freedom of speech / HISTORY / HISTORY / Modern / 21st Century / Islam / Islam and politics / Islamic countries / Islamic countries -- Relations -- Denmark / Middle East / Morgenavisen Jyllands-posten / Muhammad, Prophet, d. 632 / Muslims / Muslims -- Denmark -- Politics and government -- 21st century / Muḥammad, Prophet, d. 632 -- Caricatures and cartoons / Political aspects / Political communication / Politics and government / Press / Protest movements / Protest movements -- Denmark -- History -- 21st century / Relations / Strategic planning
• ISBN: 0300124724, 9780300124729, 9780300155068, 0300155069