Big Think | Anders Fogh Rasmussen 09/01/15 : "In September 2005, the Danish newspaper "Jyllands-Posten" published several cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed. Any visual depiction of the prophet is considered blasphemous in most Islamic traditions. The cartoons drew criticism from many Muslim communities and spurred violent protests in some Muslim countries. There were calls for the Danish government to step in and do something, or at the very least apologize.
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who was at the time President of Denmark, called the event "Denmark's worst international relations incident since the Second World War." In this Big Think interview, conducted prior to the tragic events at French newspaper Charlie Hebdo, Rasmussen explains why he and his government elected not to cave to outside pressure. As he says, compromising on the freedom of the press would undermine Denmark's free society and democracy...