Court rejects Danish Muslims’ defamation lawsuit

A DANISH court yesterday dismissed a defamation lawsuit against a newspaper that first published the Prophet Mohammed cartoons that touched off protests in the Islamic world.

The City Court in Aarhus rejected claims by seven Danish Muslim groups who said the 12 drawings printed in Jyllands-Posten were meant to insult the prophet and make a mockery of Islam. Islamic law forbids any depiction of the prophet, even positive ones, to prevent idolatry.

“It cannot be ruled out that the drawings have offended some Muslims’ honour,” the court said. But it added there was no basis to assume that “the purpose of the drawings was to present opinions that can belittle Muslims”.