 Islam has a strong tradition of aniconism , and it is considered highly blasphemous in most Islamic traditions to visually depict Muhammad . This , compounded with a sense that the cartoons insulted Muhammad and Islam , offended many Muslims . Danish Muslim organisations that objected to the depictions responded by petitioning the embassies of Islamic countries and the Danish government to take action in response , and filed a judicial complaint against the newspaper , which was dismissed in January 2006 . After the Danish government refused to meet with diplomatic representatives of the Muslim countries and would not intervene in the case , a number of Danish imams visited the Middle East in late 2005 to raise awareness of the issue . They presented a dossier containing the twelve cartoons from the Jyllands @-@ Posten , and other information some of which was found to be falsified . As a result , the issue received prominent media attention in some Muslim countries , leading to protests across the world in late January and early February 2006 . Some escalated into violence resulting in more than 200 reported deaths , attacks on Danish and other European diplomatic missions , attacks on churches and Christians , and a major international boycott . Some groups responded to the outpouring of protest by endorsing the Danish policies , launching " Buy Danish " campaigns and other displays of support . The cartoons were reprinted in newspapers around the world both in a sense of journalistic solidarity and as an illustration in what became a major news story . 
