Danish cartoonist not planning Jordan trip

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard says he is not planning to go to Jordan to face a trial over his controversial caricature of Mohammed, the founder of Islam.

A Jordanian prosecutor in June summoned Westergaard to answer questions after local media sued over his cartoon, which was republished in at least 17 Danish dailies in February. In an interview with Der Spiegel, Westergaard said he would likely be arrested the moment he stepped foot in Jordan.

The cartoon, depicting Mohammed with a bomb in his turban, was one of 12 originally published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten in 2005.

Asked what he would say to a Jordanian court, Westergaard told the German newspaper he would try to explain the cartoon was not an attack at Islam.

"I would try to explain that the cartoon was not aimed at Islam as a whole but aimed at the terrorists, who use part of Islam as their spiritual ammunition," he said. "You could also say that the terrorists have taken the prophet as their hostage."

Westergaard conceded it "has been very difficult to get Muslims to understand my intentions."