Society & Culture

State Secretary Lars Vilks was invited to an art exhibition in Tällberg, Sweden. The theme was “Dog”. State secretary decided to contribute to the exhibition with three drawings of the prophet Mohammed as a dog. His drawings were first happily accepted then refused (on the 20th of July). As pictures of the prophet are sensitive matters the event was covered by most Swedish newspapers as well as radio and TV.

The situation has brought back the discussion of freedom of speech and what is acceptable to publish.

Ladonia vice president made this statement:

“In Ladonia freedom of expression is permitted. We do not regulate art, speech, expression, religion or non-religion. The State does not practice censorship. We do not prohibit political life or freedom of association. But we do prohibit violence.

Best wishes to all –
Vice President Phil Halfhill”

The actual drawings have never been shown. Herald News can here for the first time show one of the refused drawings

muh hund Original rondellLITEN.JPG
State secretary Lars Vilks: Mohammed as a traffic circle dog (putting small dogs in roundabouts have been widely spread for more than a year all over Sweden).

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Ladonia Herald staff writers are citizens of the Royal Republic of Ladonia who donate their time and expertise to help write and edit the news and contribute photos. All writers and editors are vetted by our editorial committee.

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19 Comments

  1. HaHa! Bad toon of Muhammad, should have made him look like a baby having sex with another baby, as Muhammad is a pedophile. I’ll a .50 waiting for Muhammad if he ever turns up on earth again. Do a boom shackalacka right thru his towel head. Death to Muhammad!

  2. To: comment # 16-mary
    I can tell by reading your comment that you are “well educated” after all down with free speech/free expression unless of course you are calling the Jewish people Pigs and calling for Christians to be Murdered. GOOOOOOOO SWEDEN. and by the way the just published it again. GO USA

  3. This dumb piece of shit.,,,i hope he dies and burns in hell asap.. im glad that american lady tried to kill him,., i wish she would have suceded,,, i hate this motherfuck.,,, go to hell and burn forever,,, words cant explain the hatred i feel for this son of a bith, God will punish you good bitch!!

  4. Hej State Secretary!

    Vi har följt händelseutvecklingen och vi hyser all förståelse för aktionerna. Nu har vi ett förslag i syfte att nå den yngre generationen: nämligen en inbjudan till facebook, där man kan göra alla möjliga roliga saker:

    Följ länken http://www.facebook.com/s.php?q=Lars+Wilks&n=-1&init=s

    Med vänliga hälsningar, citizens of Ladonia Lord Anders and lady Gunilla

    ps: vi har försökt bli Ladonieninnevånare på Facebook, vilket stötte på motstånd. Vad sägs om en grupp?

  5. Make no mistake, I am NOT a racist. I love people of all colors. I am just against the very outdated and non-sensical teachings of today’s greatest threat to Free Speech: Islamic Extremism. Outlaw all the lowlife Imams teaching this form of imbecellic ideology in our free countries NOW!

  6. I believe that Lars Vilks is more than just a hero to me (as with all the other artists, editors and publishers who dared to publish other blasphemous cartoons of their Prophet Muhammad) because he has risked his life by drawing a hilariously-looking Muhammad caricature where his head is on a body of a dog. Haha. I hope you come out with more caricatures of Muhammad because making fun of Christians and the Jews is already yesterday’s news. The Fatwas placed on Mr. Vilks’ head only proves us more that these criminal Islamic Imams, Mullahs & Muftis are just plain and comical illiterates when it comes to the words “freedom of speech” and “democracy.” You have 110% of my full support, Mr. Vilks. It is time to fight aggresively back against these backward-thinking Islamists. If the Islamists plan on forcing their backward beliefs down our throats by the sword especially in our democratic countries, we shall proudly strike back violently. Remembering the events of 9/11 will always give me strength to counter this criminal act called “Jihad.” Always stay safe, Mr. Vilks.

  7. People seem to be missing the point. The art is not limited to the drawing itself. Lars Vilks is staging performance art here, and part of the performance is played by Al-Qaida, another part is played by the Swedish government, and yet a third is played by ambassadors from some of the muslim gangster states in the Middle East. And new parts are being added daily by Vilks.

  8. I join the support to Lars Vilks and the others as expressed by Muslims Against Sharia. After having visited their website I am strengthened in my view that Islam and Islamism are two different things.

    Extreme Islamists, belonging to those parties exploiting religion for political purposes, use accusation of blasphemy as a means of attacking and offending political opponents. Such abuse of religion is a good reason to maintain blasphemy legal in Ladonia and Sweden while blasphemy used in a context of hateful speech against minority groups should still be illegal.

    Vilks’ cartoon may be blasphemous but it is not hateful.

    “All great truths begin as blasphemies” (G B Shaw)

  9. Muslims Against Sharia praise the courage of Lars Vilks, Ulf Johansson, Thorbjorn Larsson and the staff of Nerikes Allehanda and Dagens Nyheter and condemn threats issued by Abu Omar Al Baghdadi and the Islamic State of Iraq. Muslims Against Sharia will provide a payment of 100,000kr (about $15,000) for the information leading to capture or neutralization of Abu Omar Al Baghdadi.

    Muslimer mot Sharia berömmer Lars Vilks, Ulf Johansson, Torbjörn Larsson och övriga anställda på Nerikes Allehanda och Dagens Nyheter för deras tapperhet och fördömer hotet från Abu Omar Al Baghdadi och Islamistiska Iraq. Muslimer mot Sharia betalar 100 000 SEK (ca 15 000$) för information som leder till gripande eller oskadligörande av Abu Omar Al Baghdadi.

    Muslims Against Sharia

    Defend Freedom of Speech – Support Sweden!

  10. This is ridiculous .i guess i just dont understand how a members of a supposed religion of peace and love can call for mudering an artist. it is mind boggeling.They should instead donate the $150,000 to a fund to promote understanding islam.
    because i sure dont .I would also call on all artists to support Mr Vilks and liberate the forbidden image forever by saturating Mohammads visage on everything: t shirts ,coffee mugs , posters and flyers ,mouse pads etc. untill they realise that the world will not in fact end because a pencil was put to paper. I hope this does not end like the Theo Van gogh saga did…..at least he used a dog could you imagine what would have happen if he put his head on a PIg?.

  11. it is better and wiser if we can apreciate other one faith and relegion. I dont want anyone disturbing my faith of my prophet. in other hand, i will give an honour and let any one else has his freedom to have a faith and obedience of their relegion

    whatever the goal of this cartoon, i supposed that it wont be published or in another way show to other people. because it will hurt any one. i believe no body want to be hurt of any reason, because every body has right to life in peace right? some one freedom is not absolute, because he must apreciate other one freedom, it calls true freedom… so i believe some one who made this cartoon is good artist, but its better if he can apreciate and honour other one faith… cheers

  12. freedom of expressions is not so nice when its the other way around is it?….As a Christian we have been made a joke but if we offend Muslims they spaz out & threaten us….Have you noticed that Muslims have descided we need to be wiped off the planet if we don’t turn to Mohammed… much like Hitler. But we are standing by letting them do as they will…Frightening

  13. Sure the picture’s stupid looking. It’s political commentary. Just as it’s taught that non-Muslims like Jews and Christians are pigs, some agnostic is commenting on the rigid nuts who terrorize Islam. the Mohammed (rest his soul in peace) of the Wahabbis is just like this dog. Someone who barks and demands that they follow their instruction. The Muslim followers of whom forget about common sense, and could end it by running over their pathetic dog-masters. Osama bin Laden and the like are just like this traffic dog. Sad that they possess so much power over the unthinking sheep that follow them. I think Lars should draw a sheep being abused by a Wahabbi shepherd next.

  14. I do not understand this drawing. what’s the purpose of this picture? you said that it is an an art. what kind of art? do you mind if I draw your most respected person like that picture? Do you mind if I say that your parents are ‘dog’?
    Please consider that freedom of speech means respect the others.

  15. I don’t understund this people…what do u game by drawing this pictures…target nations like sauai arabia by there people, iam swedish and muslim,,my prophet has not done nothing harm…it’s some people in some country who used wrong so target those country..not the bleve of bilions of peoples religion.
    tank you

  16. Stefan Sandström. There is no point in treating islam different. All religions should be opened to criticism and satire. It is not oppression rather treating matters of religion in equal manners.

  17. As a Ladonian subject I protest aginst this perverted use of Satire.
    Satire should hit the rich and mighty from bellow.
    This hits the poor muslim immigrants from above.
    It is published here – not in Saudi Arabia: Thus it is directed toward muslims in
    the surrounding states of Sweden and Denmark.
    Thus: This is an act of oppression.Opression often disguises itself as freedom.
    Nevertheless opression is always opression.

    For more details in Swedish, see http://blogg.aftonbladet.se/13212/perma/504754/

  18. I strongly support the rule of freedom of speech and the right for Lars Vilks as a great swedish contemporary artist to publish whatever artwork he wishes, in any context. Besides freedom of speech, artists of every age have taken their rightful step to comment on the times and society they are working in. As such they make an indispensible contribution to the social wellbeing and development as well as constituting a support in the defence for economic and political democracy. Historically, leading forces in the repression of the freedom of speech have been individuals or states who are ready to grasp at violence in attacking it in creating or defending their obscure purposes. This is in essence a fight between good and evil, which, regardless of temporary setbacks will lead to defeat of the repressionary and reactionary opponents to a free human being.
    Thus, in a democratic and cultural society all inhabitants must remain vigilant in defending these basic human rights.

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