The newspaper editor who published cartoons of the prophet Mohammed in Denmark has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Flemming Rose (58), whose publication of the cartoons nearly 20 years ago led to riots around the world and death threats against the staff of Jyllands-Posten, has been nominated by Norwegian MP Michael Tetzschner.
According to Norway's NTB news agency, the nomination was a response to the attack on Charlie Hebdo's offices in Paris last month. Tetzschner wrote to the Nobel committee: "Giving the prize to a consistent defender of freedom of expression, even at a personal cost, would give a sign that those who try to muzzle that freedom through cowardly attacks against civilians, thus undermining peace between peoples, cannot ever succeed."
The Jyllands-Posten controversy began with the publication of 12 cartoons in September 2005, most of which depicted Mohammed. Rose was the paper's cultural editor and principally responsible. In an accompanying article he explained that different artists had been invited to submit drawings and that the exercise had been designed to demonstrate the presence of self-censorship.
Rose wrote: "Modern, secular society is rejected by some Muslims. They demand a special position, insisting on special consideration of their own religious feelings. It is incompatible with contemporary democracy and freedom of speech, where one must be ready to put up with insults, mockery and ridicule."
Nominations for the peace prize are confidential, but those who make the nominations can choose to make them public.
Among those nominated this year are jailed Saudi blogger Raef Badawi, jointly with Saudi lawyer and rights activist Walid Abul Khair, and fugitive US intelligence analyst Edward Snowden.
