 One controversy that arose around the cartoons was the question of whether they were racist . The United Nations Commission on Human Rights ( <unk> ) Special Rapporteur " on contemporary forms of racism , racial discrimination , xenophobia and related intolerance " , <unk> <unk> , saw xenophobia and racism in Europe as the root of the controversy , and partly criticised the government of Denmark for inaction after the publication of the cartoons . 
