“Twelve cartoons were originally published by Jyllands-Posten. None showed the Prophet with the face of a pig. Yet such a portrayal has circulated in the Middle East (The BBC was caught out and for a time showed film of this in Gaza without realizing it was not one of the 12).

This picture, a fuzzy grey photocopy, can now be traced back (suspicion having been confirmed by an admission) to a delegation of Danish Muslim leaders who went to the Middle East in November to publicise the cartoons. The visit was organised by Abu Laban, a leading Muslim figure in Denmark.

According to the Danish paper Ekstra Bladet, the delegation took along a pamphlet showing the 12 drawings. But the delegation also showed a number of other pictures, including the “pig” one. The delegation claimed they had been sent to Danish Muslims and were the sort of insults that they had to endure. These also got into circulation.

(Update: A reader has e-mailed to say that the original of the “pig” picture was from a “pig-squealing” competition held in France every summer. Some character dressed up like a pig. See the link to the neandernews.com site on the right for the details.

Ekstra Bladet has also published a letter taken by the delegation on its mission. This gives the delegation’s account of how the cartoons originated and what the reaction to them was. But it also mentions other pictures, which it said were “much more offending.” These presumably included the “pig” picture, whose origin is now known.

I have also been sent links to an Egyptian newspaper which published the 12 cartoons last October. The paper said that these were “racist” and would insult Muslims everywhere. See link at right)

Western diplomats appear to have missed this entirely and seem to have made no attempt to counter some of the arguments in the pamphlet or to distinguish between the various portrayals.

The extra pictures might not have made much difference (though some of my readers argue that they must have) but it shows how rapidly propaganda can add to fuel to the fire”

BBC, Neandernews, Associated Press