WAN critical of death threats related to Mohammad cartoon
The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) expressed strong disapproval of al-Qaida's death threat directed at Lars Vilks and Ulf Johansson. "Nerikes Allehanda has full freedom of speech. The choice to publish the cartoon is embraced by this freedom and must be respected."
The exhortation to take the lives of Lars Vilks and Ulf Johansson that was published on a website linked to al-Qaida this past weekend has drawn worldwide attention. On Monday, WAN issued a statement in support of the right to publish the cartoon of Mohammad as a roundabout dog (a recent Swedish phenomenon that involves the placement of homemade dogs, typically made of wood, in roundabouts by anonymous persons).
"WAN fully supports the Swedish publishers' defence of their freedom of speech in regard to Islam or any other religion, especially the religion that is a significant element in the global political debate."
WAN writes that it is understandable that the cartoon has disturbed many Muslims, but a threat that leads to silence is unacceptable
anders.ahlberg@medievarlden.se, 070918
From 
, a newspaper owned by Tidningsutgivarna
Nerike Allehandas's Ulf Johansson and Lars Vilks under al-Qaida death threat
Nerike Allehanda's editor-in-chief Ulf Johansson and artist Lars Vilks have been sentenced to death by the leader of the terrorist network al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, for publication of a cartoon depicting Mohammad as a roundabout dog (a recent Swedish phenomenon that involves the placement of homemade dogs, typically made of wood, in roundabouts by anonymous persons). In a speech published on al-Qaida's website, he offers a reward of $50,000 and $100,000 respectively to the person who takes the lives of Ulf Johansson and Lars Vilks.
"We sanction the execution of cartoonist Lars Vilks, who dared to insult our prophet. The reward during Ramadan, the month of generosity, will be $100,000 to the person who executes this criminal," says Abu Omar al-Baghdadis in his speech published on the website.
The reward is higher depending how Lars Vilks's life is taken.
The person who murders Ulf Johansson is promised $50,000.
The death threats have no support from Muslims in Sweden. Jamal Lamhamdi, chairman of the Islamic cultural centre in Örebro, says to Nerikes Allehanda that the cultural centre dissociates itself from al-Qaida's reward for the murder of Editor-in-chief Ulf Johansson. The Swedish Muslim Council also dissociates itself from the death threat.
Ulf Johansson says, in a statement to his own newspaper: "This feels much more serious than other threats. But to be able to make a correct assessment of the threat, I'm getting help mainly from the police authorities."
He emphasises that he does not regret publication. His conviction has instead been strengthened: "This is exactly the kind of behaviour that we must turn against," he says to Dagens Nyheter.
The Swedish government has refused comment, which has been criticised by several observers.
The police do not want to comment on how security around Ulf Johansson is assessed and what it is being done. Saturday evening, Ulf Johansson was at home with his family.
What can the Swedish press do to support you and Nerikes Allehanda?
"We've already received strong support. Statements of support have come from several editorial staffs. The Swedish Newspaper Publishers' Association chairman Pär Fagerström was in touch as early as the morning [of publication]."
Ulf Johansson would otherwise like Swedish newspapers to demonstrate their support by strongly emphasising the importance of publication.
The Swedish Newspaper Publishers' Association issued a statement of support through Chairman Pär Fagerström:
"It is in a situation such as this of the greatest importance that the Swedish government strongly distances itself from such barbaric behaviour. If we give in to threats and violence, we all lose.
"From the Swedish Newspaper Publishers' Association, we want to once more express our full support for Nerikes Allehanda's - and everyone else's - freedom of speech. I assume that Johansson and Vilks will now be given the support and protection they may need.
"This is not just a Swedish matter, and because of this, we are now engaging WAN, the World Association of Newspapers."
Several political editors and publishers have commented on the threat:
Niklas Ekdal, Dagens Nyheter:
"A few small cartoons in a remote land have become weapons in the fight between night and day. All discussion of intent, disrespect and artistic quality are pushed into the background. Here it only concerns the defence of an open society against those who want to use violence to send us back to the Middle Ages.
"There are both similarities and differences with the Rushdie case, 20 years ago. Now just as then, the defence of freedom of speech must be absolute, and now just as then, it is a national issue to protect those who are affected."
Torbjörn Larsson, Dagens Nyheter:
"Dagens Nyheter has also published the cartoon of the roundabout dog. We have done so three times previously because it was journalistically relevant. I have not been threatened. Publication has been a matter of course for me. We live in a country where freedom of speech and freedom of the press are not dictated by either fundamentalists or governments."
Mats-Eric Nilsson, Svenska Dagbladet:
"It is naturally appalling that someone could come up with the peculiar idea of issuing a death threat of this type. A cartoon in a Swedish local newspaper has now in an unpleasant manner become a pawn in a political and religious game. The extensive Swedish freedom of speech, which is otherwise usually questioned by the Swedish state itself, is suddenly subjected to difficult-to-assess, external attacks, which is very ominous."
PJ Anders Linder, Svenska Dagbladet:
"Vilks and Johansson must receive the full support of the national security service. Media Sweden must stand up for freedom of speech. But the responsibility does not rest with the press alone, but rather with the entire Swedish state. Freedom of speech is not just a privilege for media companies and journalists. It is a guarantee that citizens will be able to take in many kinds of influences, be able to access many sources for information and inspiration, and be as free as possible in forming their own opinions. Against this background, it does not seem to stand to reason that the prime minister and the minister for foreign affairs decline comment."
Lars Nilsson, Upsala Nya Tidning:
"The new threat against Vilks and Nerikes Allehanda's editor-in-chief is absurd and completely unacceptable. It is vital to defend the open society's freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Death threats must never influence publication decisions."
anders.ahlberg@medievarlden.se, 070915
From , a newspaper owned by Tidningsutgivarna