Muslim groups appeal cartoon ruling

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Seven Muslim groups in Denmark say they will appeal a decision rejecting their libel suit against a newspaper that published cartoons of Mohammed.

The next step is the Danish Supreme Court, the Copenhagen Post reported.

The conservative newspaper Jyllands-Posten created an international firestorm in 2005 when it printed the 12 drawings, including one that showed Mohammed with a bomb coming out of his turban. Many Muslims believe any graphic representation of Mohammed is impious, a view the newspaper deliberately challenged.

The Arhus Municipal Court and the Western High Court refused to convict Carsten Juste, the former editor-in-chief of Jyllands-Posten, or its culture editor, Flemming Rose, of libel.

"We have no doubt that we will continue with the case," said Bilal Assaad of the Islamic Faith Society. "We just need to have the legal procedure in place. Our lawyer Michael Havemann has begun by making an application for the case to be heard by the Supreme Court."