Namesake of cartoonist gets death threats

AABENRAA, Denmark, March 4 (UPI) -- A Danish man sharing the same name as a controversial cartoonist who drew caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed has been given official protection.

Kurt Westergaard, a businessman from Aabenraa, Denmark, received protection from Denmark's official security service, PET, after he received multiple death threats related to the cartoons, which were drawn by a different man bearing the same name, The Telegraph reported Tuesday.

"The worst thing was that they also called my three children," the target of the threats said. "They wanted to kidnap my family and murder me."

The Telegraph said some of the other 81 Kurt Westergaards in the country have also received death threats meant for the cartoonist.

"At least it takes some of the immense pressure off of me," the cartoonist joked Tuesday. "As one of my friends put it, it's too bad for the Kurts."

Westergaard's cartoons sparked riots and violence in the Muslim world after they appeared in several Danish papers.