In the book Dei fordømte karikaturaneviser, Odd Isungset shows how religious and political powerholders in Egypt, Syria, Iran and Qatar used the cartoon controversy to secure their own power. In a dramatic day-by-day account, he describes how the actors acted, with startling results. The author has gained access to confidential communication between the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Norwegian embassies when the crisis erupted, and uses documentation that has not previously been made public.

Twenty years after the cartoons were first published, we gain a new understanding of the case and of who bears responsibility for the situation spiralling out of control. We also gain new insight into the intense pressure faced by Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Magazinet editor Vebjørn Selbekk during the controversy.

Lecture by the author Odd Isungset
In collaboration with Ytringsfrihetsbyen Stavanger