British National Party Distributes Leaflet with Prophet Cartoons

February 23, 2006

Source: The Times

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,173-2053659,00.html

On February 23, 2006 The Times reported, "The British National Party has distributed a leaflet featuring the Danish cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad that has enraged Muslims and caused worldwide violent protests. A spokesman for the BNP said that half a million leaflets had gone out to 14 local groups across the country. He said that the use of the image, juxtaposed with a photograph of Muslim demonstrators carrying banners urging violence and death against publishers of the cartoon, was not intended to cause offence, but to illustrate that Islamic and Western values do not mix. The spokesman added: 'What the leaflet says is which do you find most offensive? The cartoon or Muslim demonstrators calling for terrorist attacks on Europe?' Nick Griffin, the BNP’s chairman, and another activist are due to be retried on certain race hate charges in October.Mr Griffin was cleared this month of seeking to incite racial hatred. In a message on the BNP’s website, he urges members to print off the leaflets and 'pin them to church notice boards' and to 'leave them on trains and buses'. He said that they were a reaction to a decision by British newspapers not to publish the images out of respect for the Muslim faith."