Swedish Cartoon Jihad Flares Up Again

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Swedish Cartoon Jihad Flares Up Again

Lars Vilks, the Swedish artist who drew a series of sketches showing Mohammed as a "roundabout dog," is the target of a new round of attacks from Muslim fanatics, and today his home was vandalized.

It was the latest in a week of attacks on the 53-year-old cartoonist, who was assaulted Tuesday by a man while he lectured at a university and saw his Web site apparently attacked by hacker on Wednesday.

Police were alerted just before noon Saturday, as people passing by the artist's house noted that several windows had been smashed. When officers arrived, they discovered plastic bottles filled with gasoline and fire damage on the surface of the building. Attackers are also suspected of having tried setting the inside of house on fire, but the flames are thought to have fizzled out. …

Vilks, who often jokes about the threats he has received since his 2007 sketch of Muhammad, including from al-Qaida, said the latest attack doesn't raise his fears more than usual.

"I'm not really more afraid than what I think is realistic," he told the Associated Press over the telephone.

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