WSJ Interview
Vilks opens up about the changes in his life since drawing the prophet Muhammad as a dog on a traffic circle. While he can’t talk about the details of his protection, he does say he feels safer and misses the ability to be spontaneous. He also rejects the idea that artist and satirists have to be careful when they criticize Islam.
Almost the entire Muslim world is subject to a theological rule that has a strange outcome when it comes to human rights. You can’t ignore that. Then you’re talking tactics, how should one go about to change that. Some say you should be very careful, but that’s just postponing the problem. Sooner or later, you have to explain what you’re criticizing.
Gunman attacks cafe
A gunman opens fire at a cafe, firing at least 30 rounds into the windows and doors, but is unable to force his way in. One person dies and three police officers suffer injuries. The gunman is still on the loose, keeping things tense and uneasy throughout the capital. Vilks, the artist who may have been the target at the cafe, carries on with his presentation on “Art, Blasphemy and Freedom of Expression” after the shooting. One of the organizers of the event, Helle Merete Brix, compliments his bodyguards and adds:
It is a dramatic and unpleasant reminder of what we are up against in these times.