Vebjørn Selbekk
Encyclopedia
Vebjørn K. Selbekk is a Norwegian newspaper editor and journalist
. Selbekk became widely known in Norway
when he as a chief editor of the conservative Protestant Norwegian newspaper Magazinet
January 9, 2006 was one of the first to reprint the Muhammad cartoons
.
Vebjørn Selbekk grew up in Meråker
in Nord-Trøndelag
, and started his career as a writer in Stjørdalens Blad. He has attended Livets Ord
's Bible school in Uppsala
, Sweden
, and has for many years been an important figure of the Norwegian charismatic
Free Church arena.
on January 9, 2006 re-printed facsimile
s of 12 caricature drawings of the Prophet Muhammad
which had earlier been published by the Danish
newspaper Jyllands-Posten
, stating to do so in the name of freedom of the press
. Many Muslims felt deeply insulted by the drawings, and the publication engendered violent protests. Selbekk received multiple death threat
s, and in the Muslim world
dramatic demonstrations took place and Norwegian and Danish embassies were burned down.
On February 9, 2006 the Muslim organization Al-Jinnah Foundation and its leader Khalid Mohammad filed criminal charges against Vebjørn Selbekk for blasphemy
and for having "put Norwegian lives at risk abroad by the provocative act of publicizing the Muhammad drawings." The day after, after Selbekk had offered a public apology, Mohammed Hamdan, the leader of the Islamic Council of Norway (Islamsk Råd Norge), asked of all Muslims that they accept Selbekk's apology and let the matter rest.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. Selbekk became widely known in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
when he as a chief editor of the conservative Protestant Norwegian newspaper Magazinet
Magazinet
Dagen is a conservative Protestant Norwegian newspaper. Its predecessor was Magazinet, which was published three times a week. Its average circulation in 2004 was 5,307 copies. The last editor of the newspaper was Vebjørn Selbekk...
January 9, 2006 was one of the first to reprint the Muhammad cartoons
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
.
Vebjørn Selbekk grew up in Meråker
Meråker
Meråker is a municipality in Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Stjørdalen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Midtbygda which is about west of Storlien in Sweden and east of Stjørdalshalsen in Stjørdal. Other villages in Meråker include Gudåa,...
in Nord-Trøndelag
Nord-Trøndelag
is a county constituting the northern part of Trøndelag in Norway. As of 2010, the county had 131,555 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth-least populated county. The largest municipalities are Stjørdal, Steinkjer—the county seat, Levanger, Namsos and Verdal, all with between 21,000 and...
, and started his career as a writer in Stjørdalens Blad. He has attended Livets Ord
Livets Ord
Livets Ord, literally Word of the Life, is the largest parish within the Swedish Word of Faith movement. The parish was founded in Uppsala by Ulf Ekman on May 24, 1983, who also served as its leader until 2000. Ekman passed on the local pastorship in Uppsala to Robert Ekh that year and instead...
's Bible school in Uppsala
Uppsala
- Economy :Today Uppsala is well established in medical research and recognized for its leading position in biotechnology.*Abbott Medical Optics *GE Healthcare*Pfizer *Phadia, an offshoot of Pharmacia*Fresenius*Q-Med...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and has for many years been an important figure of the Norwegian charismatic
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
Free Church arena.
The Muhammad caricatures
Selbekk came under global media attention when he as editor-in-chief of the evangelical Christian newspaper MagazinetMagazinet
Dagen is a conservative Protestant Norwegian newspaper. Its predecessor was Magazinet, which was published three times a week. Its average circulation in 2004 was 5,307 copies. The last editor of the newspaper was Vebjørn Selbekk...
on January 9, 2006 re-printed facsimile
Facsimile
A facsimile is a copy or reproduction of an old book, manuscript, map, art print, or other item of historical value that is as true to the original source as possible. It differs from other forms of reproduction by attempting to replicate the source as accurately as possible in terms of scale,...
s of 12 caricature drawings of the Prophet Muhammad
Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy
The Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
which had earlier been published by the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
newspaper Jyllands-Posten
Jyllands-Posten
Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten , commonly shortened to Jyllands-Posten or JP, is a Danish daily broadsheet newspaper. It is based in Viby, a suburb of Århus, and with a weekday circulation of approximately 120,000 copies, it is among the largest-selling newspaper in Denmark...
, stating to do so in the name of freedom of the press
Freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
. Many Muslims felt deeply insulted by the drawings, and the publication engendered violent protests. Selbekk received multiple death threat
Death threat
A death threat is a threat of death, often made anonymously, by one person or a group of people to kill another person or groups of people. These threats are usually designed to intimidate victims in order to manipulate their behavior, thus a death threat is a form of coercion...
s, and in the Muslim world
Muslim world
The term Muslim world has several meanings. In a religious sense, it refers to those who adhere to the teachings of Islam, referred to as Muslims. In a cultural sense, it refers to Islamic civilization, inclusive of non-Muslims living in that civilization...
dramatic demonstrations took place and Norwegian and Danish embassies were burned down.
On February 9, 2006 the Muslim organization Al-Jinnah Foundation and its leader Khalid Mohammad filed criminal charges against Vebjørn Selbekk for blasphemy
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
and for having "put Norwegian lives at risk abroad by the provocative act of publicizing the Muhammad drawings." The day after, after Selbekk had offered a public apology, Mohammed Hamdan, the leader of the Islamic Council of Norway (Islamsk Råd Norge), asked of all Muslims that they accept Selbekk's apology and let the matter rest.
Authorship
Vebjørn Selbekk has written several books:- 2001: Jødehat på norsk. ("Hating Jews, Norwegian style") ISBN 82-7341-936-3
- 2006: Truet av islamister, ("Threatened by Islamists"), about the events surrounding the publication of the Muhammad caricatures. ISBN 82-476-0332-2
- 2007: T.B. BarrattThomas Ball BarrattThomas Ball Barratt was a British-born Norwegian pastor and founder of the Pentecostal movement in Norway....
- forfulgt og etterfulgt. ("T.B. Barratt - persecuted and followed") ISBN 9788230204221