Germany: Danish Muhammad cartoonist receives price in ceremony attended by Chancellor Merkel
By APWednesday, September 8, 2010
Danish Muhammad cartoonist receives German price
BERLIN — A Danish cartoonist who caricatured the Prophet Muhammad and caused outrage in the Muslim world has received a German prize honoring his achievements for freedom of speech.
Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Wednesday before the award ceremony for Kurt Westergaard that Chancellor Angela Merkel would stress the importance of media freedom in a speech to the gathering of European media executives in Potsdam, near Berlin.
The board of Potsdam’s M100 conference on “Media Freedom in Europe” has said the prize honors Westergaard’s courage in standing up for freedom of speech despite threats and attacks.
The 75-year-old cartoonist and 11 others published controversial caricatures in Denmark’s Jyllands-Posten newspaper four years ago.
