(Undisclosed location, USA, Feb. 7th, 2007) -- A Danish artist whose satirical submission praises the Koran for Danish bathroom readers has been named the winner of the First International Islamic Cartoon Contest, competition sponsors announced today.

"In memory of those innocents who were killed, in solidarity with artists still in hiding, and in support of free speech, Laughyourheadoff.org is proud to present the winners on the anniversary of the cartoon wars," said the campaign's founder.

"If anything, the climate of support for free speech in the defense against Jihadist propaganda in Europe and the US is worse than last year," said poet Charles Martel, who uses a pseudonym because of ongoing death threats by Islamist ideologues worldwide.

"Look at the bizarre and dangerous trial, starting today, brought against the French magazine "Charlie Hebdo" for merely printing cartoons in a free nation!" he said.

Reporters Without Borders just issued a statement of "unconditional support" for the magazine yesterday.

“By publishing the cartoons, Charlie Hebdo chose to resist the attempt to impose silence by means of threats,” Reporters Without Borders said. “This is what counts. The public arena must remain free.”

The organization's press statement continued: “The trial that opens tomorrow is a test of freedom of expression in France. We express our unconditional support for Charlie Hebdo in its fight for the right to satire and we hope that the courts will protect this principle, as the Danish judges did on 26 October 2006 when they acquitted Jyllands-Posten’s editors and ruled that its Mohammed cartoons were not offensive to Muslims.”

"We are calling on lovers of artistic and press freedoms to post the three winning LYHO cartoon entries on their blogs and websites," said Martel, "Because once the Jihadist Internet "warriors" see these cartoons, they will most likely respond by trying to knock down our site and silence our voice."

"We also challenge the press in the "free world" not to censor this announcement due to irrational and inappropriate demands by those who ultimately wish to force Sharia law on non-Muslim nations," he added.

In defense of the award-winning cartoons, one of which shows a little boy pissing on a Koranic verse that advocates violence against infidels, Martel cites George Orwell and Rowan Atkinson, known as Mr. Been to millions, in support of free speech.
 
"In my opinion, freedom of expression is being allowed to cause trouble, or create discomfort, or offense, as long as your words or behavior are not threatening," said Atkinson last year at a protest at Parliament against a proposed "hate crimes" bill that was eventually watered down due to widespread opposition among clerics, artists, comedians and atheists.
 
“How many filmmakers need to get murdered, hysterical fatwas need to be issued, and poets, actors and preachers need to silenced before people realize that Islamic radicalism poses a threat to our hard-won Judeo-Christian liberties?” said Martel, referring to recent events in Europe and elsewhere.

Martel says the fact that most of those who submitted cartoons to the contest asked to remain anonymous shows the negative effect that Islamic assasinations and beheadings have had on intellectual freedom and free expression.

"On this anniversary of these important Tours II Cartoon Wars," he added, "We not only want to celebrate our artistic and religious freedoms, but we also want to draw the public's attention to three very important recent essays and a dire report card on the free press."

He said that the essay can say better than laughyourheadoff.org could what Western publics need to hear about the ongoing struggle against those who would "launch us back to 7th Century barbarism and ignorance."

Unless these voices are heeded and acted upon by Western elites and policymakers, Martel is not optimistic about winning this modern cultrual and political equivalent to the Battle of Tours.

"The point of the competition was not to purposely offend the sensibilities of Muslims," said Martel, "But to resist radical Islamic demands for press and personal restrictions that, if given in to, would eventually lead Europe to a Nazi-like future."

The writings are:

"Hurray! We're Capitulating!" By Henryk M.  Broder, in Der Spiegel

"All the events of last spring are only a foretaste of something much bigger, something still unnamed. And when it ends, those who have managed to escape will ask themselves: Why didn't we see the handwriting on the wall when there was still time? If Muslim protests against a few harmless cartoons can cause the free world to capitulate in the face of violence, how will this free world react to something that is truly relevant? It is already difficult enough to see that Israel is not merely battling a few militants, but is facing a serious threat to its very existence from Iran. All too often it is ignored that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has already taken the first step by calling for "a world without Zionism"—a call that pro-Israel Europeans only managed to condemn with a mild, "unacceptable." How would they react if Iran were in a position to back up its threats with nuclear weapons?"

Censorship and Persecution in the Name of Islam
By Tunisian columnist, Zyed Krichen

"...our societies must show greater respect for freedom of thought, and must pass laws that will protect this freedom from 'arbitrary imams,' or 'illiterate, fatwa-issuing Koran-[thumpers],' as the Tunisian psychoanalyst Fethi Benslama calls them.

Wafa Sultan on Danish Cartoons

"We, as Muslim people, have been hostages of our own belief system for too many centuries. We have been hostages of our own prison. We have never heard other voices outside of our box. We are not use to hearing other voices. We barely are allowed our own voices. So I see publishing the cartoons was the first crack in the walls of our prison. Because as a prisoner it is almost impossible to break the wall of your prison. You need someone outside of your prison to help you break it.

Reporters Without Borders Annual Report, 2007

“Almost everyone believes in human rights these days but amid the silences and behaviour on all sides, we wonder who now has the necessary moral authority to make a principled stand in favour of these freedoms.”

The publication by a Danish newspaper of cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed focused the world’s attention in 2006 on the issue of freedom of expression and respect for religious beliefs. Democratic countries did not defend Denmark, whose embassies were attacked, or the journalists who were threatened and arrested. Europe especially seemed to choose silence for fear of offending Arab or Muslims regimes."

(Undisclosed location, Feb. 7th, 2006) -- In the wake of calls for press restrictions, boycotts, and threats of violence against artists since the outbreak of the “Cartoon Wars” crisis, a new organization has launched the First International Islamic Joke and Cartoon Competition in order to promote free speech and open debate.
 
The US-based Laughyourheadoff.org has launched the competition in order to support those editors, artists and political figures who have defended artistic and press freedoms against the growing chorus of those who support some form of censorship for publications and artworks deemed "offensive." 
  
"This has turned into a cultural battle of Tours , and it is a cultural and political struggle that free people cannot afford to lose,"  said the campaign's founder, Charles Martel, a writer who uses a pseudonym because of recent death threats against those who dare to portray pictures of Islam's founder, Mohammed.
 
"The point of the competition in not to purposely offend the sensibilities of Muslims," said Martel, "But to resist radical Islamic demands for press and personal restrictions that, if given in to, would eventually lead Europe to a Nazi-like future."
 
As a writer, he is adamant that "American and European political and cultural leaders need to take a stand with Jiri Grusa, the head of PEN International, who said last week that she had 'no sympathy for the cartoons, but I have to defend the right of people to say things, even stupid things.' "

The competition has 3 categories for original jokes and cartoons, named after Danish heroes, as well as a "Mr. Bean Prize" for the best essay with the topic "Humor in the New Testament and the Koran."
 
“Besides those who send in critical or sarcastic cartoons about Islam, I urge Muslims to send in their own positive jokes and cartoons related to Islam so that non-Muslims can learn to appreciate their humor,” said Martel, referring to various recent essays by Muslims who refer to a long history of humor in Islam.

Details of the competition and more examples of artwork can be found at laughyourheadoff.org.
 
The joke and cartoon contest is similar to a “Fight Hate with Humor” contest that was just launched by the World Union of Jewish Students, which itself was started in response to a bizarre pro-Holocaust cartoon effort blessed by Iranian authorities last week.
 
”In one way this whole affair has been good because it has allowed moderate Muslims in Europe and North America to speak out for democratic values and against death threats issued by radical Muslim clerics,” said Martel “Even if they are personally offended by images of Mohammed.”
   
In defense of a competition likely to displease some Muslims more, Martel cites George Orwell and Rowan Atkinson, known as Mr. Bean to millions, to support the rights of free speech.
 
"In my opinion, freedom of expression is being allowed to cause trouble, or create discomfort, or offence, as long as your words or behavior are not threatening," said Atkinson last week at a protest against a proposed "hate crimes" bill in Parliament, which was watered down due to widespread opposition among clerics, artists, comedians and atheists.
 
"I wish the oxygen of free expression to be available to all," said the beloved Bean, "But it is not enjoyed by all, and where its availability is most poor is often within religious communities."
 
"It is also like Orwell said," argues Martel, "'If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.'”
 
“How many filmmakers need to get murdered, hysterical fatwas need to be issued, and poets, actors and preachers need to silenced before people realize that Islamic radicalism poses a threat to our liberties?” said Martel, referring to recent events in Europe and elsewhere.
 
The contest website also quotes the Iranian author of the bestselling "Reading Lolita in Tehran, Azar Nafisi, in her call for Muslim tolerance of democratic values.
 
"When we are sure of where we stand, we don't get insulted easily," Nafisi told a news agency last week. "I think it is up to Muslim people to show how sure they are of who they are and not make such an emotional response to cartoons that are in terribly bad taste."
 
Martel hopes that the contest will also spur citizens to ask their newspapers to publish the original cartoons in defense of liberty, as well as put international pressure on Western officials and governments which express sympathy for “hate crimes” laws which would silence literature and art, as well as stifle free debate regarding religion.
 
"It is Islamic individuals and institutions in Western nations that need to submit to tolerance and the rule of law," says Martel, "Not free people who should submit to the repressive tenets of Sharia law."'