On Muslim Reaction to Cartoons: 'It Would be Unfortunate if People in Saudi Arabia or Some Parts of the World Influenced What We Speak About in Denmark ... It's a Fact of Globalization, and We Must Consider it' NEW YORK, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- "This is the first time I've witnessed a story in a newspaper with a circulation of 150,000, in a country of just above 5 million people, becoming a global issue," Flemming Rose, editor of Jyllands- Posten, tells Newsweek International's Charles Ferro in the February 13 issue (on newsstands Monday, February 6). Back in September 2005, the liberal Danish newspaper published several cartoon depictions of the Prophet Muhammad -- at least one as a terrorist -- although any physical representation of the prophet is forbidden in Islam. There was no immediate backlash, but last week, after several other European newspapers reprinted the cartoons, the reaction went global. Muslims from Jakarta to Istanbul took to the streets in protest, while editors from France to Jordan were dismissed because of their decisions to run the drawings. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060205/NYSU004 ) "This is a challenge. It means that what you do in a secular, modern democracy may offend people in some parts of the world, people not living in this type of society," says Rose. "I think it would be unfortunate if people in Saudi Arabia or some parts of the world influenced what we speak about in Denmark. [But] it's a fact of globalization, and we must consider it." (Entire interview online at http://www.newsweek.com/.) Read entire interview at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11179140/site/newsweek/ http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060205/NYSU004 http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Newsweek CONTACT: Andrea Faville of Newsweek, +1-212-445-4859 Web site: http://www.newsweek.msnbc.com/ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11179140/site/newsweek

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