A Danish cartoonist who controversially caricatured the Muslim Prophet Muhammad has told a court in Aarhus how a man who broke into his house tried to kill him with an axe. Somali defendant Mohamed Geele, 29, however, claims he only wanted to frighten Kurt Westergaard, 75.
The cartoonist drew one of 12 pictures of the holy Muslim profit which were published by Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in 2005, prompting widespread anger across the Muslim world. At first, Mr Westergaard was forced to go into hiding but eventually opted to live openly in a heavily fortified house.
Geele, who was shot and wounded by police when they arrived at the scene, denies charges of terrorism and attempted murder, despite Westergaard claiming that he hacked at the door of his panic room with the axe. The Dane’s five-year-old granddaughter, who was also in the house at the time of the break-in, also testified against Geele.
Westergaard told the court how he feared he would be “slaughtered” by the defendant. “He was like a religious, insane young man,” the cartoonist said, adding that Geele was screaming “You must die! You are going to Hell!”
“I believed he had entered the house as a holy warrior who wanted to kill an infidel,” Westergaard continued. “He was chopping so violently with his axe on the bathroom door that it began to vibrate,” he said. “It would have been certain death if he had managed to break it down.”
A verdict is expected in the case next month.
>I wonder what kind of person he is.
Without knowing whether it played out as you said, it’s alright to kill him because he’s a coward?
Tool.
Somehow the article missed to note that Mr. Westergaard while hiding in a panic room had left his 5 years old granddaughter all alone in the house with an “insane holy warrior who wanted to kill an infidel”?! I wonder what kind of person he is.
I have a hard time seeing this from the “burglars” point of view as well. Yes, the cartoons might have been offending, but as Unbehaun i have a hard time believing, that Allah is one of the offended. Only religious lunatics are taking action on it. Honestly I don’t believe for a second, that he just wanted to scare Kurt Vestergaard. If he’s not convicted for attempted murder or terrorism, I’m gonna be very surprised. He is obviously one of said lunatics.
Idle hands (and minds) are the devil’s workshop. People who are engaged in a worthwhile activity don’t have time to feel offended at every little thing that comes down the pike. If Allah is omnipotent, then he can punish those who offend him, if indeed cartoons even bother him. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” translates well into any language.