Ali Dilem has been a cartoonist for Algerian daily Liberty since 1993. In 2000 he received an award for best cartoon in a daily newspaper. He has been attacked by the Algerian government and sentenced to death by Islamists because of his cartoons.

When asked if, having received death threats himself, he consequently felt sympathy for the Danish cartoonists who have received death threats following the publication of the Mohammed cartoons, Dilem responded as follows: “I do feel sympathy in as much as no one deserves to die for a cartoon, it is obvious; I can also understand that these cartoons, especially the one with Mohammed with a bomb-shaped turban on, might shock. … But what I do not understand is the logic that leads some Muslims to try and make non-Muslims abide by the precepts of Islam … Today we start by forbidding them to draw things about Islam and tomorrow what? Will we forbid them to eat ham?”

When asked: Should it be possible to make cartoons about anything, including the Muslim world?
Dilem responded: “I very much agree with the opinion, not only that people should be allowed to make cartoons about everything, but also that one should be able to express his views about anything. Criticism should exist in all domains, including religion … One should have the freedom to draw anything, as well as one should have the freedom to be shocked; Now for this issue, I believe the proportions it has reached and the outbursts of anger concerning it are both a bit too extreme.”

Nikahang Kowsar is an Iranian cartoonist in exile, currently living in Canada. He freelances, and his cartoons have recently published in newspapers such as the Guardian, The New York Times and The Globe and Mail. Kowsar is a member of the Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists and Journalists in Exile. In Iran he was imprisoned and faced prosecution for drawing a cartoon the government considered offensive.
Kowsar was asked: “What is your personal view? Are you against the publishing of cartoons that could be considered offensive by some people?”
He responded: “I can speak from two positions. As a board member of the world association that defends the rights of cartoonists and, as such, I should defend the cartoonists who have been threatened – and I do so as an artist. On the other hand, I am critical of what they did: when you do something that you know will create hatred and annoy people who are a minority in Europe, this can be very insensitive and can cause uneasiness among them. I would personally never do such a thing.”
Kowsar was then asked a follow up question: “So where do you draw the line? How do you see the boundaries of the freedom of the press versus (causing) religious offense?”
He answered: “In one or two of the cartoons, the wrong deeds of the Muslims extremists are connected to their leader, the Prophet Mohammed, who lived some 1,400 years ago … We have to draw some lines;  there are difference between the behaviour of a prophet and the behaviour of his followers. I think such acts are expressing hatred and opposition rather than freedom of expression.”

Jean Cabu draws cartoons for French political satire weekly Charlie Hebdo, amongst other publications. Charlie Hebdo recently re-printed the infamous 12 Jyllands Posten Mohammed cartoons. The magazine has been criticized for this decision.
Cabu was asked what is his reply to those who have said that Charlie Hebdo has insulted Islam by reprinting the cartoons. He replied: "I am not being insulting, I’m just doing my job. For forty years I have lampooned religious figures, whether they be rabbis, imams, Christ, Jehova, Buddha, or prophets … Do you want me to continue the list?"

Cabu was then asked, "Don't you think that the cartoon showing Mohammed wearing a bomb-shaped turban is shocking and irresponsible?"

He responded as follows: "No. At a time when certain fundamentalist Muslims cut people's throats and decapitate people in front of television cameras while shouting "Allaouh Akbhar" cartoonists have the right to create such images.Let's not turn things on their head: it is not the cartoonist that gives a violent iamage of Islam, it is those who kill in its name."

When confronted with the statement: "That particular cartoon showed all Muslims as fundamentalist terrorists ...", Cabu replied: "You're right, but I fight against all types of fundamentalists, whether they are Muslims, Jews or Catholics ... In fact the error that the Danish made as to publish these caricatures of Mohammed without a caption. In my drawings I always give my characters speech, so they can explain or defend themselves."

Source: VSD, Radio Free Europe, Kabyles.com