Kurt Westergaard: “A fanatic has lost the very valuable feeling: the doubt”

Kurt Westergaard (1935) is probably the most famous Danish cartoonist since he created the controversial cartoon of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad wearing a bomb in his turban. This cartoon was one of the 12 Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons which met with strong and sometimes violent reactions from Muslims worldwide. Since the drawing of the cartoon, Westergaard has received several death threats and murder attempts. I spoke to him for the first time in 2009, at his place in a small town in Denmark. In 2010, a 28-year-old Somali Muslim intruder armed with an axe and knife entered Westergaard's house and was later shot, wounded and arrested by police. Since then, he is under constant police protection. But he as always choosen freedom to safety. 

Are we in the peak of war between civilizations?
For the time being we experience a clash or friction between two different cultures.
Should we speak with those who can't respect other´s life or it is better to fight them?
For a democrat a dialogue is the most natural way to settle a disagreement. But we must stand firm on our democratic principles.
In Spain many people blamed the war of Irak and Afganistan for the bombings of the trains in Madrid, 7 years ago. Can a democratic government be responsible of such attacks?
A democratic government should first of all defend its country. But sometimes it may be necessary to attack. But I think the Afghan war is a mistake. Seen with many Afghan eyes we are acting as cultural imperialists who want to impose on them our values. Values which most Afghans do not like and do not understand. And no foreign powers have been able to conquer Afghanistan til now.Let us instead try, to talk or negotiate with these people, offer them humanitarian help on areas they can accept. The time where the Western powers can be the policeman of the world with the big stick is over. There are other ways to support a growing democratic consciousness in Muslim world as we see it these days in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.
You had a bitter experience with Muslim radicals. What have you learn from that?
I have experienced Islam fanatism very close. A fanatic has lost the very valuable feeling: the doubt. No dialogue is possible, we have got to crush them.
Is there any danger of losing part of our liberty in order to be more safe?
Safety has a very high priority these days. But let us not be overwhelmed by the fear of terror. That would mean more and more surveillance and there by reduce our liberty
Many terrorist are grown in poor/Muslim countries. But some, including those who tried to kill you and those who killed 191 people in Madrid in 2004, are grown in rich/western cities. How can we avoid this 'new breed of killers'?
To avoid or eliminate this new breed of terrorists  we in Denmark use a lot of money to integrate and educate emigrants children in our school system, so that they leave the school  on the same level of knowledge as the ethnic Danish Children, as for Danish reading and writing, mathematics etc. And thereby prepared to all kinds of education. Education is a good mean to integration.
How much time it´s needed for a real change in the Islamic world: towards peace, dialogue, tolerance and respect? Are you optimistic about the revolts in the Muslim world or do you think the situation of freedom and state-supported-terrorism can become worst?
Anyway till now I think, that the democratic revolution in the Muslim countries is the start of a development which if it succeds will mean very much for both the Muslim world and the Western world.
What terrorism want: destroy our values or being left alone?
The Islamic terrorism wants in its insanity to destabilise our world and scare us .
You retired as a cartoonist. Why you did so: tired, scared or want to focus in some other things. 
I retired at he age of 75. So I think there will be time  to have focus on other creative works.
You said bye with a drawing of 'Don Quixote'.
For me Don Quixote is the romantic idealist with visions, sometimes impossible, to get fulfilled, but necessary. Sancho Panza is always the realist. There should be a balance between these two.
In the front page of your memories it will be the most controversial cartoon of Allah. Why did you choose it?
The Islam terror has a part of a religion or interpretations of parts of religion as its spiritual ammunition therefore.


Interview for EL MUNDO in 2010 here (spanish)