Pat Dollard | Young Americans

In the wake of the release of Geert Wilders’ anti-Koran film, it appears that the cartoonist who drew the Mohammed Bomb-Head (that’s what Louie calls it) wants to keep Wilders from using his cartoon.

Can’t enforce copyright on a viral video, it’s like trying to ban drugs.

The Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, who produced a controversial drawing of the Prophet Mohammed wearing a turban shaped like a bomb, has said that he plans to use all legal means to block the use of his cartoon in the anti-Koran film produced by Dutch right-wing politician Geert Wilders (photo).

In an interview with Danish radio on Friday, Westergaard said that he believes that the use of his cartoon at the beginning and end of Wilders’ controversial film is illegal. Reports say that it is not clear if a lawsuit will be filed in Denmark or the Netherlands.

Wilders’ 17-minute film entitled Fitna, which criticises Islam’s holy book, the Koran, was posted on a video-sharing website on the Internet late on Thursday. The film sets verses of the Koran against a background of images from terrorist attacks.

Westergaard first published the cartoons in the Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten in September 2005. The drawing led to worldwide protests by Muslims at the time and a boycott of Danish goods.

The cartoonist’s whereabouts are unknown and he’s been under police protection since receiving death threats for producing the cartoon. He has distanced himself from the content of Wilders’ film.

On Friday, the European Union presidency, currently held by Slovenia, released a statement supporting the move by the Dutch government to denounce Wilders’ film.

The statement said that freedom of expression “should be exercised in the spirit of respect for religious faiths and other beliefs and convictions”.

“Reciprocal tolerance and respect are universal values that we have to respect,” it said adding that the film by Wilders “has no other scope but to stoke hatred.”

(AKI)