Sparked by a recent attempt on the life of Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard
and by the fact that blasphemy is now a criminal offence in Ireland,
the Committee chose as the theme of this year’s cartoon competition
“The ‘right’ not to be offended is not a right: How can we encourage vigorous
debate while being respectful of religious sensibilities?”
The winning cartoon, by Plantu of Le Monde, depicts a cartoonist
drawing under the watchful eye of an Imam perched on his pencil
now transformed as a minaret.
