Always look on the bright side of life

[Gypsum_Fantastic]

1989: Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini calls on Muslims to kill British author Salman Rushdie for alleged blasphemy in his book The Satanic Verses
2002: Nigerian journalist Isioma Daniel's article about Prophet and Miss World contestants sparks deadly riots
2004: Dutch film maker Theo van Gogh killed after release of his documentary about violence against Muslim women
2005: London's Tate Britain museum cancels plans to display sculpture by John Latham for fear of offending Muslims after July bombings
2006: Danish paper publishes cartoons. Muslim ambassadors complain to Danish PM. Norwegian publication reprints cartoons. Saudi Arabia recalls its ambassador. Gunmen raid EU's Gaza office demanding apology.

[ANDY-J3]

2006- UK Newspaper the Sun-outspoken supporter of the war in Iraq and the war on terror-refuses to publish said photos stating

"The cartoons are intended to insult Muslims and the Sun can see justification for causing offence to our much valued Muslim readers"


We're not talking about the right to free speech except in the original instance where the cartoons were printed in the Danish newspaper.We're talking about the press in other countries deliberately jumping on the bandwagon by printing pictures not for reasons of satire or humour but really just being crass and creating a bit of gratuitous entertainment by having a dig at Islam. I support freedom of the press but there are times when their lack of basic common sense needlessly creates problems.

[Gypsum_Fantastic]

Pity about The Sun. I still have fond memories of their 1986 cartoon lampooning the PCC's criticism of their use of 'Arab Pigs'. They had some pigs marching outside their office with the punchline 'now the pigs object to being called Arabs'. That was in Kelvin Mackenzie's day. You wouldn't get that nowadays.

We are talking about the free speech question, Andy. That is the fundamental (no pun intended) issue here. I don't believe it is provocative to reprint the photos in other newspapers - it provides a context for the readers to decide for themselves whether or not they are offensive. That judgement should not be made by the government of Saudi Arabia and then inflicted on the intelligent, free-thinking readerships of Denmark, France, Italy, etc, etc. If newspapers failed to print the cartoons (and, shamefully, none in the UK have printed them) then they are tacitly agreeing with the religious extremist viewpoint that there is something shameful about them, as if they're hardcore pornography.

The BBC were not shy in screening 'Jerry Springer: The Opera' despite loud protests from Christian groups - and a record number of complaints, I believe. They even included clips from the show in subsequent news broadcasts about the furore. This was perfectly correct and proper in a secular state. The flag of Islam does not fly over Downing Street or any Western European government (yet!). Until it does, Islamic states can impose all manner of censorship on their own beaten populations but they cannot and should not expect the same from free Western countries.