Threats to Lars Vilks .

I attach a post from Tundra Tabloids regarding the threats to the life of Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks , the author of the cartoons which have upset a certain section of society . In my opinion the cartoon are not that funny or well produced , however I will defend Lars right to publish ; the right to exercise freedom of speech is inviolate . Any attack on Lars is an attack on me , indeed it is an attack on Western civilised values and the point as come where the line has to be drawn . If one side of the debate can call for a fatwah , then we can call for a Crusade with equal legitimacy ; the retreat of the indigenous populations rights has to stop .

The Islamists have spoken, they want the offending Swedish cartoonist, Lars Vilks who drew the dreaded "roundabout doggies" (Mo-Hounds)...dead, as well the editor who published them.

"The leader of al-Qaida in Iraq offered money for the murder of a Swedish cartoonist and his editor who recently produced images deemed insulting to Islam, according to a statement carried by Islamist Web sites Saturday.

"We are calling for the assassination of cartoonist Lars Vilks who dared insult our Prophet, peace be upon him, and we announce a reward during this generous month of Ramadan of $100,000 for the one who kills this criminal," the transcript on the Web site said.

The al-Qaida leader upped the reward for Vilks' death to $150,000 if he was "slaughtered like a lamb" and offered $50,000 for the killing of the editor of Nerikes Allehanda, the Swedish paper that printed Vilks' cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad with a dog's body on Aug. 19."

The Local has more on it here as well. It appears that the jihadi threats being made to Swedish businesses, are also being taking seriously. The Swedish telecom giant Ericsson is reducing its visibility in Iraq, taking down all its flags and warning its employees in the Middle East to take necessary precautions for their personal safety.

Charles Johnson at the LGF blog mentions that Lars Vilks, being the "typical anti-everything leftist, has received a wake up call from the RoP." He includes a quote from Vilks who states:

"Vilks said from Sweden he believed the matter of his cartoons had been blown out of proportion. We have a real problem here,” Vilks told The Associated Press by telephone. “We can only hope that Muslims in Europe and in the Western world choose to distance themselves from this and support the idea of freedom of expression.”

I agree with Johnson that,...Lars Vilks shouldn't hold his breath.