Muhammad Cartoonist Defiant After Attack

May 12, 2010

Author: Karl Ritter

Source: Google News

Wire Service: AP

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gfyTngzJoXI5VLnRYFKryLwRumugD9FLAVIO2

A Swedish artist whose drawing of the Prophet Muhammad offended Muslims said Wednesday he hopes to get another chance to deliver a lecture on free-speech that was interrupted by violent protests.

But officials at Uppsala University said they doubted they would invite Lars Vilks again after police used pepper spray and batons to help him escape a furious crowd Tuesday.

"It's nothing that we're discussing right now, but it's not very likely given how it turned out here," university spokeswoman Anneli Vaara said.

While Vilks escaped the incident with broken glasses and a degree of shock, he said it raised concerns about the freedom of expression at Sweden's oldest and most prestigious institute of higher learning.