The Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard is dead according to consistent media reports. He died peacefully after a long illness at the age of 86, as the Berlingske newspaper reported on Sunday, citing his family.
Westergaard became world famous in 2005 when a series of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in the Jyllands-Posten newspaper plunged Denmark into the biggest foreign policy crisis since World War II.
Four months after publication, people in many Islamic countries used the cartoons as an opportunity for mass protests, some of which were violent.
Among other things, embassies from Denmark and even Norway were attacked, and dozens of people were killed.
The cartoon controversy led to diplomatic resentment
According to its own information, the Danish television broadcaster TV 2 had received confirmation from the former editor-in-chief of Jyllands-Posten, Carsten Juste, for the death of Westergaard.
The Danish public broadcaster DR also reported on Sunday, referring to a long-time friend of Westergaard.
The so-called cartoon dispute also led to diplomatic dissatisfaction between various Islamic countries and Denmark.
In the country itself and beyond, the events led to a bitter debate about the limits of freedom of expression and religion.
Westergaard was just one of several cartoonists who responded to an appeal by the Jyllands-Posten.
But his portrayal of Muhammad met with the greatest outrage among Muslims.
It showed the Prophet wearing a turban in the shape of a bomb.
The studied German teacher, who had worked as a cartoonist for the conservative Danish newspaper since the 1980s, had to surround himself with bodyguards from then on.
He narrowly escaped an attack in 2010 when a 28-year-old man broke into his home with an ax.