Does Danish newspaper flunk fairness policy?

Jyllands-Posten, the Danish paper that ran a dozen editorial cartoons many Muslims found offensive, earlier refused to run an anti-Jesus cartoonas offensive.

“My cartoon, which certainly did not offend any Christians I showed it to, was rejected because the editor felt it would be considered offensive to readers — readers in general, not necessarily Christians,” cartoonist Christoffer Zieler said in an e-mail he sent to Reuters on Wednesday.

This sounds like it is just wrong. But, the newspaper’s editor said he rejected them because — they weren’t offensive enough.

Jens Kaiser, the former editor of Jyllands-Posten's Sunday edition who turned down the cartoons three years ago, said he had done so because they were no good.

“Having seen the cartoons, I found that they were not very good. I failed to see the purportedly provocative nature,” he said in a statement.

"My fault is that I didn't tell him what I really meant: The cartoons were bad."

Zieler's five colored cartoons portrayed Jesus jumping out of holes in floors and walls during his resurrection. In one, gnomes rated Jesus for style, another entitled "Saviour-cam" showed Jesus with a camera on his head staring at his feet.

"I do think the cartoons would offend some readers, but only because they were silly," Kaiser said.

Going by his description of the cartoons, I’d have to agree.