The jury didn't buy Mohamed Geele's claims that "I was irritated and frustrated by his comments. I wanted to frighten him but not to kill him."
Westergaard's account, via the Canadian Press:"I thought to myself: Now it's happening," Westergaard recalled.
He heard his then 6-year-old granddaughter Stephanie scream from the living room, as the axe-wielding attacker tried to break down the door of the panic room.
"Then the longest minutes of my life started," Westergaard said. "He hammered the axe against the door and I wondered whether the door would resist. Would he leave Stephanie unharmed?"
All for a cartoon. And while the spotlight has been on Westergaard, there is no telling what impact the incident has had on his granddaughter. But prosecutors are only seeking 12 years for Geele. "Jury convicts Danish cartoonist's attacker," from CNN, February 3:
(CNN) -- A 29-year-old Somali man was found guilty Thursday of attacking a Danish political cartoonist known for his drawing of the Muslim prophet Mohammed with a turban shaped as a bomb, authorities said.
"The Muslim prophet Muhammad." It's refreshing not to have to ask "Whose prophet?" for a change.
In a unanimous verdict, Mohamed Geele was found guilty of attempted terrorism, attempted manslaughter and attacking a police officer with a knife and an ax, said Danish Prosecutor Lene Lemt.
Geele was accused of trying to break into the home of cartoonist Kurt Westergaard on January 1, 2010. He was shot in the right leg and left hand by an officer during the incident and hospitalized for his wounds.
At the time, Danish intelligence officials had linked him to an East African Islamist militia allied with al Qaeda.
Prosecutors are seeking 12 years in prison for Geele, who is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday.
Al-Shabaab, the militant organization with alleged ties to Geele, is waging a bloody battle against Somalia's transitional government and is currently on a U.S. government list of terrorist organizations.
At a January 2010 news conference in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, al-Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage said, "We are very happy with the Somali national who attacked the house of the Danish cartoonist who previously insulted our prophet Mohammed. This is an honor for the Somali people. We are telling that we are glad that anyone who insults Islam should be attacked wherever they are."...
"We are telling that we are glad that anyone who insults Islam should be attacked wherever they are."...
This means: We encourage vigilante behavior anywhere in the world. We, as supremacists, don't give a damn about other countries' laws. We are a law unto ourselves and murdering anyone we don't like is our prerogative.
'...the muslim prophet mohammed.' NOT 'the prophet muhammed.'
At last, a tiny little breakthrough ?
I'm glad about this, but the utterly cowardly and disgraceful behaviour of Westergaard is a blot on the story.
"attempted manslaughter"...?
What would qualify as attempted murder?
Excellent. I'll wear my Westergaard "Mo Da Bomb" t-shirt to the "Iranium" premiere Tuesday to celebrate!
I just heard on a local conservative talk show that the Muslim Brotherhood is using a slightly different flag during the Egypt riots. It has the word "Prepare" at the top in Arabic instead of the word they usually put there. Supposedly it's a call to "prepare for war against Israel". Anybody heard anything about this?
Westergaard leaves a 6 year old, his granddaughter no less, to the whim of axe wielding murderer. Unconscionable. I hope he pissed himself on the way to his panic room, selfish bastard.
Geele was accused of trying to break into the home of cartoonist Kurt Westergaard on January 1, 2010. He was shot in the right leg and left hand by an officer during the incident and hospitalized for his wounds.
Had political correctness not been our running sore, those bullets would have struck in the chest and head.
If he gets less than life the Danes are fools.
And where is Queen Margrete and her royal brood on this subject of Islamification of their country and all the Muslim violent crime and freeloading? They could have wielded very useful influence had they had tried but they seem to prefer to just pose in expensive outfits in palatial digs and let their small country go down the Islamic sewer. Their duty is to defend their nation & culture. How useless and I can't imagine why they are loved.
Swinging an axe against a door behind which someone is trapped in a room, and continuing to do so while traumatising a child. That's not "attempted" terrorism, but terrorism plain and simple. I wanted to frighten him .. - from an axe wielder that is a confession. Hint: when because of your actions a child is screaming in heartfelt terror, and you don't stop, you're a terrorist.
Also, what on earth is "attempted" manslaughter. If you try to kill someone deliberately it is attempted murder. If you succeed in killing someone then the charge may be manslaughter instead of murder if the killing was without deliberation, premeditation, and malice. How can someone "attempt" manslaughter in this way? Buying and taking an axe across town as a conversation starter? How deliberate, premeditated and malicious can you get? It's a travesty.
Because the report is post-verdict, we are spared the liberal (in both senses of the word) sprinkling of "claimed", "alleged" and "allegedly", but a wholly inappropriate "accused of" has been snuck in there by CNN. He's been found guilty, fellas. He was trying to break in. The axe blade didn't fall against the door accidentally and repeatedly did it?
"Prepare"
The Muslim Brotherhood are after all just Boy Scouts.
(PS: Yes I do know they've dropped the "Boy").
Here's where Queen Margrethe of Denmark is (or was) seven years ago:
We are being challenged by Islam these years – globally as well as locally. It is a challenge we have to take seriously. We have let this issue float about for too long because we are tolerant and lazy.
We have to show our opposition to Islam and we have to, at times, run the risk of having unflattering labels placed on us because there are some things for which we should display no tolerance.
And when we are tolerant, we must know whether it is because of convenience or conviction – Queen Margrethe of Denmark – A wake up call for the West – January 20th 2004.
How many Western leaders have talked in such direct terms about Islam since Churchill?
lilredbird,
I'm just curious where you will be watching Iranium. I will be seeing a screeing of it on the 6th in Ottawa, Canada. The reason I ask is to determine whether this is a countrywide premiere, which would be great, in my opinion. Thanks.
Ima
...the Muslim prophet Muhammad
From CNN. That's outstanding. Thank you, CNN.
The axe man should be put away for life. What he did is an attack not just on the cartoonist, but on the freedom of thought of the cartoonist's nation as a whole. If this were an isolated case, a mild punishment might be fine. But this is part of a pattern of attacks and threats intended to destroy freedom of speech and religion in the West. Moreover, the attacks and threats are succeeding. Many, many public figures are self-censoring. This axe man should go away for life without possibility of parole.
Glad to hear he was convicted for attempted terrorism, that's harder then only attempted manslaughter.
From the article: At a January 2010 news conference in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, al-Shabaab spokesman Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage said, "We are very happy with the Somali national who attacked the house of the Danish cartoonist who previously insulted our prophet Mohammed. This is an honor for the Somali people. We are telling that we are glad that anyone who insults Islam should be attacked wherever they are."...
That sheikh should be indicted at the International Criminal Court at the Hague for sedition.
Attempted manslaughter? So, he intended to attack him with an axe, so much so that he was willing to chop a door down to do it, but he did not intend to actually kill him with the axe? That makes no sense.