My newspaper is trying to establish a contact with the Iranian newspaper and we would run the cartoons the same day as they publish them.

There was a story out there and we had to cover it. We just chose to cover it in a different way, according to the principal: don't tell it, show it.

We would consider publishing them.

I have committed an error. I am 100 percent with the newspaper's line and Carsten Juste in this case.

We have a tradition of satire in Denmark. We do the same with the royal family, politicians, anyone. In a modern secular society, nobody can impose their religious taboos in the public domain.

I think it's very unfortunate that now Danish interests, Danish buildings are being attacked in Syria, but let me also say that Syria is a police state, and this could not have happened if not the authorities in some way had allowed it to happen.

These were not directed against Muslims, but against people in cultural life in Europe who are submitting themselves to self-censorship when dealing with Islam.

I do not think they are asking for respect in this case. They want me to follow one of their taboos in the public domain. And I think there's a very fundamental principle in secular society that you cannot insist on everybody paying special attention to your religious feelings.

This is a challenge. It means that what you do in a secular, modern democracy may offend people in some parts of the world, people not living in this type of society. I think it would be unfortunate if people in Saudi Arabia or some parts of the world influenced what we speak about in Denmark. [But] it's a fact of globalization, and we must consider it.