Iran (1989)

This cartoon from 1989 uses "King Solomon and his advisor" to represent the government of Israel.

Way back in 1989, Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued an execution order against British author Salman Rushdie and his publishers over the publication of a novel. Then, as now, Iran was angry at the West for its Freedom of the Press. Then as now, Iran dreamed of wiping the Jewish State off the map.

Long before Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Long before the row over "the 12 Danish Cartoons".

Now, in 2006, seventeen years later, the leader of Hizbullah, the Iranian-directed, Lebanese-based, "Palestinian" terrorist gang on Israel's northern border makes the connection, as reported by MEMRI (the Middle East Media Research Institute):

Hassan Nasrallah: "If any Muslim had carried out the fatwa of Imam Khomeini against the apostate Salman Rushdie, those despicable people would not have dared to insult the Prophet Muhammad - not in Denmark, not in Norway, and not in France."

Rushdie

And just in case you think that the cartoons must have been really insulting and outrageously offensive (you'd be wrong), you can find them and other cartoon goodies at Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartoonists weblog, which is a treat to read, even if you're not a professional cartoonist.) Or go straight to the 12 cartoons by clicking here.