Timeline

• 17 September 2005
  Article in Danish language newspaper Politiken titled "Profound fear of criticism of Islam", on self-censorship. Author Kåre Bluitgen had difficulties to find an illustrator for a children's book on the life of Muhammand. Illustrators refused, pointing to the murder of film director van Gogh in 2004 and an attack on an lecturer in Copenhagen. This article sparked a discussion in Denmark about self-censorship.
  
• 30 September 2005
  Article in Jyllands Posten titled "The face of Muhammed". Jyllands-Posten asked about forty different artists to give their interpretation of Muhammad. Twelve responded and the newspaper published these, together with an article on self-censorship, the rejection of secular society by some Muslims, and the right to mock all religions evenly.
  
• 12 October 2005
  Eleven Islamic ambassadors asked for a meeting with Danish PM to discuss islamophobic tendencies in Danish Media. Danish PM refused, giving as reason that the government has no legal means of influencing the press.
  
• 17 October 2005
  Egyptian Newspaper publishes 6 of the 12 cartoons, accompanied by an article denouncing them. No public outcry.
  
• 27 October 2005
  Danish Muslim organizations file a complaint. The Director of Prosecutors decided on 15 March 2006, that the article in Jyllands Posten was legal under Danish law. But it stresses that contrary to the claim in Jyllands Posten, religions do enjoy special protection.
  
• December 2005
  Dissatisfied Danish Imams, including Abu Laban, compile a dossier on islamophobic tendencies in Denmark, including the 12 cartoons an some other material. Among them 3 additional more offensive cartoons, that were send to muslims in Denmark that participated in an online discussion on Jylland Posten's website. A delegation
  travelled to the middel east with this dossier, and it was discussed at a summit of the Organization of Islamic Countries.
  
• January-February 2006
  Norwegian Newspaper reprints Cartoons. First demonstrations. Several arabic countries recall their envoys. Flag burning in several arabic capitals. European newspapers reprint cartoons. A French editor gets fired. Some arabic news papers reprint the cartoons. Editors get arrested, in some cases they are released within days (Jordan), in other cases they have to face charges (Yemen, Algeria, Malaysia). Protest in European capitals. Jylland posten apologizes for grief caused by cartoons. Television debates, blogs, online petitions. Danish PM regrets the violence and outrage caused by the cartoons. Ministers in Sweden and Italy had to resign. Editors of university newspapers in Wales and the US that printed some of cartoons had to resign. People die in, at least, Nigeria, Jordan, Afghanistan, and Libya.