A spokesman of the Organization of the Islamic Conference’s Islamophobia Observatory condemned the reprint of the controversial drawing of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) by Swedish artist Lars Vilks in three Swedish newspapers, namely Dagens Nyheter, Expressen, and Sydsvenska Dagbladet, and electronic media including radio and television broadcasts as reaction to an alleged plot to murder the cartoonist, which was uncovered in Ireland on March 9, 2010.

The spokesman said that the OIC had always spoken against violence including death threats against the originators of the blasphemous cartoons. He said however, that the Swedish media’s explanation of the action taken to reprint the cartoons in the name of freedom of expression was unacceptable, unwise and irresponsible as it has caused hurt and insult to the Muslim citizens of Sweden as well as the 1.5 billion Muslims across the world who had nothing to do with the alleged death threat. The spokesman added that there were other options available for the Swedish media to show their protest instated of resorting to an action that could potentially open a raw wound and incite avoidable unrest.
The OIC spokesman hoped that the Swedish newspapers will show restraint and exercise the right to freedom of expression in a responsible manner.