Cartoon controversy to take centre stage

Published on Wednesday 26 April 2006 11:41

THE Danish cartoon controversy is to take centre-stage at a major international conference in Edinburgh next month.

Delegates from around the world will tackle the global chaos caused by the images of the Prophet Muhammad at the city's Sheraton Grand Hotel.

The global media summit, hosted by the International Press Institute, will also debate the impact of the Make Poverty History campaign and the reporting of terror attacks since 9/11.

Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten first published the Prophet cartoons - one of which showed Muhammad wearing a bomb-shaped turban - in September, but the row was inflamed when they were shown again, with publishers around Europe asserting the right to freedom of expression.

Among the major speakers will be Chris Cramer, the head of CNN International, Paul Wilkinson, head of St Andrew's University's centre for terrorism and political violence, Sir Christopher Meyer, head of the Press Complaints Commission, BBC chiefs Michael Grade and Mark Thompson, and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, the deputy president of South Africa.

Prominent Scots industry figures taking part will include Kirsty Wark, Stuart Cosgrove, Sheena McDonald and Sarah Smith, as well as First Minister Jack McConnell.

The event, from May 27-30, is being supported by The Scotsman Publications Limited, publishers of the Evening News.