Newspapers challenge Muslims over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed
Regional-Denmark, Politics, 2/2/2006

The Daily Telegraph reported that "Newspapers across Europe yesterday defended what one editor called the 'right to blasphemy' by printing Danish cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that have provoked fury in the Arab world."

The cartoons sparked protest among Muslims and resulted in boycott of Danish products.

The Daily Telegraph said "In France the front page of the France-Soir tabloid carried the headline 'Yes, We Have the Right to Caricature God' and a cartoon of Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim and Christian divinities floating on a cloud. Inside, the paper re-ran the Danish drawings .. But because no religious dogma can impose itself on a democratic and secular society, France Soir is publishing the incriminating caricatures."

Daily Telegraph said of the cartoons "One depicts a grinning, knife-wielding Mohammed flanked by two veiled women. Another, which appeared on the front page of Die Welt in Germany, and in La Stampa in Italy, shows the Prophet wearing a bomb-shaped turban, topped by a hissing fuse. The Spanish newspaper ABC used a photograph of the original Danish newspaper, with its 12 cartoons. Die Welt also ran an editorial regretting a decision by the Danish newspaper to apologize for the upset caused."

Daily Telegraph said "Die Welt described the 'right to blasphemy' as a key freedom of an open society. Roger Kppel, the editor of Die Welt, said his main motive for running the cartoon had been the 'news value of the story.' But he stood by the decision. 'In our culture, we have a tradition that even our most holy things can be subjected to satire or criticism. Muslims have to understand that in our culture, the representation of a holy man has another meaning.'"

Daily Telegraph sad "The Left-wing Berliner Zeitung daily printed two of the caricatures as part of its coverage of the controversy, but said Denmark should accept the boycott of its goods as the price to pay for freedoms of speech .. If we really want to protect our values, then we should respect this call for boycott and just accept the sacrifices they will incur."

It is not clear if those who express such strong believe in the freedom of expression had taken similar action previously to condemn European officials and figures when these individuals blasted the Iranian President for speaking his own mind about what he thinks of Israel and the need to examine the accuracy of the scale of the Holocaust and the Israeli treatment of the Palestinians, and if these supporters of freedom of expression gave the Iranian president equal support to present his views.

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