STOCKHOLM (AP) - A Swedish artist who angered Muslims by depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a dog was assaulted Tuesday while giving a university lecture about the limits of artistic freedom.Lars Vilks told The Associated Press a man in the front row ran up to him and head-butted him during a lecture, breaking his glasses but leaving him uninjured. It wasn't immediately clear what happened to the attacker.
Vilks has faced numerous threats over his controversial drawing of Muhammad with a dog's body, but Tuesday's incident was the first time he has been physically assaulted.
Earlier this year U.S. investigators said Vilks was the target of an alleged murder plot involving Colleen LaRose, an American woman who dubbed herself "Jihad Jane," and who now faces life in prison. She had pleaded not guilty.
Vilks said a group of about 15 people had been shouting and trying to interrupt the lecture before the incident at Uppsala University.
Many of them stormed the front of the room after the attack and clashed with security guards as Vilks was pulled away into a separate room, he said, describing the scene as "complete chaos."
"A man ran up and threw himself over me. I was head-butted and my glasses were broken," Vilks said before hanging up for questioning by police.
Uppsala University spokeswoman Pernilla Bjork said Vilks was showing a provocative film with sexual content to the crowd when the attacker ran up and hit him in the face with his fists.
I wonder what film he was showing. Could it have been Theo Van Gogh's film, "Submission"?
Anyway, this whole thing reminds me of the time I interviewed Mohammed the Dog:
Fu2: We have a call on the line from someone claiming to be Mohammed.MO: Arghh! Hello, yes, this is Mohammed.FU2: Mohammed, you sound kind of funny. What's with your voice?MO: I'm a dog.FU2: You mean, you're Mohammed the Dog, from the poster we were just talking about.MO: I am the Prophet Mohammed Doo.FU2: Ok, ok, so why did you call in Mohammed?MO: Tell my owner, I am not coming home.FU2: Why not?MO: He get mad about my wudhu.FU2: You mean, your wudhu, the ritual cleansing before prayer?MO: Yes, my wudhu. I lick my butt, he throw a shoe at me.FU2: Well, you know, Mohammed. I've had a dog before, and when they are cleaning themselves, they can be pretty disgusting ...MO: Ever tried licking your own butt?FU2: No, I can't say that I have.MO: It feels real good. urmphh urmph , mmm, Yum Yum.FU2: Could you cut it out? We're doing a live radio show here.MO: You got any food?Fu2rman: You're begging, aren't you, Mohammed? Bad dog.MO: Some bacon. A Pork chop.FU2: A pork chop?!? Muslims don't eat pork. What kind of Muslim are you?MO: Muslim? I'm no Muslim.FU2: But, you're the prophet Mohammed, right?MO: Yep!.FU2: You are the founder of the religion of Islam.MO: I just made up Islam to fuck with people. You think I'd folllow all this crap? I'm a dog, not an idiot? (LAUGHS)Ok, well listen Mohammed, one thing I have always wondered about is all the prayer. Why pray five times a day?MO: To celebrate how many times I crapped on the neighbors lawn every day.FU2: You mean, Muslims pray five times a day because that's how many times you did your business on the neighbors lawn?MO: Yep! That's what Islam is all about.FU2: Ok, I guess that makes sense. Uhm, what about all the protocol about the prayers, the rug, and the strange positions?MO: That's what I look like when I crap.FU2: And, the rug?MO: I like to crap on the rug. What can I say? Wait, I pray now. (sound of dog doing call to prayer) Alllahu Akbar.