The politician says the contest has sparked death threats from Muslims.
Geert Wilders, a Dutch right-wing politician, has announced his decision to cancel a planned Prophet Muhammad cartoon competition.
The politician said the highly controversial contest would not go ahead over death threats from Muslims and concerns that other people might be in danger.
“To avoid the risk of victims of Islamic violence, I have decided not to let the cartoon contest go ahead,” the right-wing opposition politician said in a written statement. “It's not just about me, see not only me but the entire Netherlands as a target.”
Since physical depictions of God and the Prophet Muhammad are forbidden in Islam (as well as pictures of all beings with souls, including animals), the cartoon contest sparked fierce opposition from the Muslim world, especially Pakistan, where thousands of hardline Islamists marched through the country's capital Islamabad, the Independent reports.
The protesters reportedly called on Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to cut diplomatic ties with the Netherlands.
One man, a Pakistani national, has been arrested in The Hague over alleged death threats in connection with the contest.
Shortly before Wilders canceled the event, the Taliban movement urged Afghan soldiers to purposefully attack Dutch NATO troops in retaliation.
While Geert Wilders himself is known for having round-the-clock physical protection over constant…
