A Swedish cartoonist who sketched the Prophet Muhammad’s head on a dog’s body has died in a horrible traffic accident, according to local media in Sweden
Lars Vilks was reportedly travelling in a civilian police vehicle that collided with a truck near the town of Markaryd in southern Sweden.
Two police officers were also killed and the truck driver was injured.
The cartoonist caused outrage and led then Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt to meet ambassadors from 22 Muslim countries in an attempt to defuse the situation and commented ‘it was something which became a fad for artists who wished to be noticed.’
He challenged the lines of debate in most countries, how far can freedom of speech go before it becomes inciteful.
Lars Vilks lived a life of fear and hate
Vilks, 75, lived under police protection after being subjected to death threats over the cartoon.
He lived a life of fear and hate towards Muslims, who he saw as an enemy, which all began in his 30’s when he was radicalised by the Far-right in Europe.
The local Jewish people in Denmark and Sweden lived in fear because of his controversial drawings and provocative comments.
In Sweden, Jewish people had to cancel events and were on their guard especially following an event where he would speak to a Far-Right audience, especially in Copenhagen which got a reaction to Swedish artist Lars Vilks, latest ramblings.
According to local media in Sweden, he was a troubled individual who often lived a life of solitude, despised by his local community, and spent days away from his wife, drinking alcohol and wallowing in self-pity.
Swedish cartoonist offends Muslims
The cartoon, published in 2007, offended many Muslims who regard the visual representation of the Prophet as blasphemous. It came a year after a Danish newspaper published cartoons of the Prophet.
A statement from police said it was still unclear how the collision occurred but initially there was nothing to suggest that anyone else was involved.
Police have not revealed the identity of those killed in Sunday’s incident, but Vilks’s partner confirmed his death to Dagens Nyheter newspaper.
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