Danish Museum Pursuing Provocative Islam Cartoons

Denmark's Royal Library says it wants to acquire the cartoons of Muslim prophet Mohammed that sparked international protests and violence in 2006, Der Spiegel reports. The library wants to preserve the drawings but won't likely display them in the foreseeable future for fear of stoking controversy. The Danish prime minister described the unrest as Denmark’s worst international crisis since World War II.

"We're thinking of their historical importance, not their artistic value," a museum representative said. "We have to keep an open mind now to secure material that might be important 50 years to come." The library hopes to get the drawings free but might have to buy one already sold by the artist—perhaps a tricky undertaking, as Danish auctioneers refuse to deal with the cartoons. (More Danish Mohammed cartoons stories.)