european free speech
February 2nd, 2006 by Lawrence David
over the past couple of days, i’ve been trying to follow the fracas surrounding the publication of an inflammatory cartoon over in denmark. it seems that a danish newspaper has managed to offend several hundred million muslims by publishing a caricature of mohammed. this was upsetting for two reasons: 1) muslims consider it blasphemous to depict mohammed in any way; 2) the cartoon placed a very visible bomb in mohammed’s turban. (predictably, the mainstream news outlets neglect to reprint the cartoon – i think i’ve found a copy of it here.)
understandably, several muslim nations were outraged and the newspaper that published the cartoon was forced to issue an apology. but what makes this all really interesting is that several muslim nations have called for the danish government to apologize or at least publicly chastise the newspaper as well. of course, the danes have demurred, arguing that to do so would infringe on danish free speech.
people have gotten quite worked up about this. there have been big protests in the middle east. ironically, a crowd in saudi arabia even beat two danish workers.
meanwhile, a handful of european newspapers in france, germany, the netherlands, italy, spain and switzerland, incensed at muslim demands to curtail free speech, have gone ahead and reprinted the cartoons. (one editor just got sacked for having done so – turns out the paper is owned by an egyptian.)
it’s fascinating watching two huge cultures clash over fundamental differences in the supremacy of secularism or religion; this is a great example of two entire populations not comprehending how or why the other one thinks the way it does. i hope some good can come out of the uproar and people will walk away with at a little bit more understanding about one another.
although, i have to admit, i think the europeans are in the right. as a couple of commentators have pointed out: there are never any official denunciations from the middle east when al-jazeera broadcasts tapes made by terrorists calling for the west’s destruction. or when religious clerics say crazy “anti-zionist” things. to demand an official response when they are offended, however, makes the muslims look a bit hypocritical.
but what i consider to be really unfortunate is that this kind of event only reinforces an increasingly common western view that all muslims are just religious fanatics. as usual, i’m sure only a fraction of muslims have staged any real protests; they’re they ones though that make it on cnn and end up speaking for their entire religion. the majority of muslims with a more reasonable take on things just go unheard and will be unbeknownst to the west.
