A Conversation with the Danish Editor Who Commissioned the Cartoons

In Copenhagen, Ambassador Ahmed met with Flemming Rose, the cultural editor of the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten. Mr. Rose commissioned the cartoons of the Holy Prophet of Islam in 2005 which led to a global storm of controversy and protest. This interview was conducted on the eve of the tragic attacks on Charlie Hebdo in Paris.

Ambassador Ahmed wanted to learn from Mr. Rose the background to his commissioning of the cartoons and the thinking behind this action. In an extensive conversation, Ambassador Ahmed also discussed the significance of the Holy Prophet in the Islamic faith, the central role the Holy Prophet plays in the personal lives of Muslims across the world and their reverence for him, and why so many Muslims reacted so strongly to the publication of the cartoons.