In Hiding
A Swedish man who drew a cartoon of the prophet Muhammad with the body of a dog is now in hiding, protected by the police following death threats and the offer of a reward for his murder by Iraqi terrorists.
Lars Vilks, who was whisked away by police when he returned to Sweden from Germany on Sunday, said authorities have described the threats against him as "very serious."
"Police guard was nonexistent before this. It's 100 percent now," Vilks said in a telephone interview. "I can't live in my home."
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, a Sunni insurgent umbrella organization believed to have been created by al-Qaeda in Iraq, offered $100,000 over the weekend for Vilks's murder. Al-Baghdadi said the bounty would be upped to $150,000 if Vilks was "slaughtered like a lamb," and he offered $50,000 for the killing of the editor of a newspaper that reprinted the cartoon last month after Swedish art galleries refused to exhibit it.
"We are calling for the assassination of cartoonist Lars Vilks who dared insult our Prophet," al-Baghdadi said, according to transcripts of Islamic Web sites, "and we announce a reward during this generous month of Ramadan."
They really need to introduce Abu Omar to a JDAM.
By Muslims Against Sharia, Wednesday, 19 September , 2007 @ 2:44 am
Muslims Against Sharia praise the courage of Lars Vilks, Ulf Johansson, Thorbjorn Larsson and the staff of Nerikes Allehanda and Dagens Nyheter and condemn threats issued by Abu Omar Al Baghdadi and the Islamic State of Iraq. Muslims Against Sharia will provide a payment of 100,000kr (about $15,000) for the information leading to capture or neutralization of Abu Omar Al Baghdadi.
Muslimer mot Sharia berömmer Lars Vilks, Ulf Johansson, Torbjörn Larsson och övriga anställda på Nerikes Allehanda och Dagens Nyheter för deras tapperhet och fördömer hotet från Abu Omar Al Baghdadi och Islamistiska Iraq. Muslimer mot Sharia betalar 100 000 SEK (ca 15 000$) för information som leder till gripande eller oskadligörande av Abu Omar Al Baghdadi.
Muslims Against Sharia