DANISH police revealed today that they shot and wounded a suspected Somali terrorist with al Qaeda links when he tried to break into the home of a cartoonist whose 2005 caricatures of the “prophet” Mohammad sparked global Muslim outrage.
The 28-year-old man, armed with a knife and axe, failed to get into Kurt Westergaard’s home in the town of Aarhus late last night and was shot in the leg and hand after he threw the axe at a policeman, a police spokesman said.
Kurt Westergaard
The Danish Security and Intelligence Service PET said in a statement that the man had:
Close ties to the Somali terror organization al-Shabaab as well as to al-Qaeda leaders in East Africa.
The man, who had a legal residence permit for Denmark, was also:
Suspected of being involved in terror-related activities in East Africa.
The security service said the man, who would be charged with attempting to kill Westergaard and the police officer, had been involved in a “terror-related network” that had long been under investigation in connection with threats to Westergaard.
PET chief Jakob Scharf said:
PET looks very seriously upon this case which once again confirms the terror threat directed against Denmark and the cartoonist Kurt Westergaard in particular.
Westergaard, 74, famous for depicting Mo with a bomb in his turban, was not hurt in the incident, a police spokesman said.
He said police were investigating whether the Somalian acted alone in the attempted attack at Westergaard’s home, which is widely reported to be under tight security.
Last year, US authorities arrested two men in Chicago who were suspected of planning attacks on Westergaard and his newspaper Jyllands-Posten, which published the Mo cartoons.
The cartoons triggered violent protests in a number of Muslim countries. Three Danish embassies were attacked and at least 50 people were killed in rioting in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Several young Muslims have since been convicted in Denmark of planning bomb attacks, partly in protest at the cartoons.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:48 am
Can’t recall those cartoons…perhaps you could refresh my memory!
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:46 am
Well, you could start here:
http://images.google.co.uk/ima.....038;tab=wi
January 2nd, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Maybe the Danish Police could tell the forces in the US how to catch a Terrorist
January 2nd, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Ash, the trouble is, that there are way too many fundies on this planet. If we were able to catch all of them, where to put them afterwards? After all, once you’re severely deluded by relgion of any kind, you’re pretty useless.
January 2nd, 2010 at 6:31 pm
off-topic, but:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/t.....973792.ece
Extremist muslim group to march through Wooton Bassett.
January 2nd, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Thank you, Brian, for providing the above link. I have just spent a happy hour visiting various websites.
January 2nd, 2010 at 7:13 pm
@ H.Davids. Where to put all the fundies? How about marooning them all on Kerguelen Island.
January 2nd, 2010 at 8:18 pm
It’s no fun making jokes about Islam.
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:42 pm
H. Davids
I agree with you there. The trouble is when your own family shops you, the next logic step would be to block their visa!
Off topic I know but I think Freethinker should doa piece about that numpty that the BBC keep inviting on to BBC News from the Ramadam Foundation, the man is a disgrace
January 3rd, 2010 at 12:38 am
Shame the cops didnt kill the axe wielding zombie.
January 3rd, 2010 at 5:10 am
“Islamic fundamentalist” really is a euphemism.
Violent,demented,thin-skinned,intolerant and hot for murder and mayhem.
We aren’t talking about bible carrying hicks with abortion and gay issues here.This soldier of Allah and the army of his ilk are nothing less than homicidal,suicidal maniacs.
January 3rd, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Westergaard’s attacker reminds me of the Christian religious extremist who killed Dr. Tiller here in the US. Religion makes people insane.