For everybody who is as bored as I am with the current debate about "funny Mohammed-caricatures are free speech" vs. "those who depict the prophet shall be beheaded"
I just want you guys to keep in mind that the Austrian caricaturist Gerhard Haderer was indicted for his little Jesus-book in Greece only 3 years ago for sparking religious hatred (or something similar). There is no specific Islam-aspect to the current discussion. Religious zealots, be it freaky islamists in Denmark or Benedict XVI in Rome continouosly cause trouble and spoil all the fun.
That's why for example Poland - not really a islamic country - is able to develop a brutal and agressive anti-everything right-wing scene (beating up of gay prides, ...) has nothing to do with Islam but a lot with intolerance. The Catholic church has a pretty high record of spreading intolerance in recent years, too.
Why is it that only now - when it's about islam, not catholic, zealots for a change - there's suddenly a huge number of hysterics who rally around "our values"?
Here's something, it's just an idea:
For all those interested in defending "our values" - freedom and peace, for example - there are EU countries still occupying the Iraq. Britain would be one, Denmark another. I don't exactly see how a colonial occupation of the Iraq could possibly spread tolerance in the world. Getting the European troops out of Iraq would be a true sign of European values for a change.
The picture shows a British anti-war demonstration. This is the free speech I currently favor.
1 comments:
The cartoonist Haderer is indeed a good example for the somewhat hypocritical criticism from Europe. Abd since it is Superbowl time once again, I want to add an anecdote concerning censorship from the US as well. We all remember the "Nipplegate" incidence two years ago.
This year the Rolling Stones had to agree before their show that one line--"you make a dead man come"--and one word--"cock"-- had to be removed from their song lyrics. But to censor things like these became so natural in the USA, that many people do not even complain about it anymore.
Probably, and sadly, you can conclude with regard to Europe that free speech advocacy can only get a voice if combined with xenophobic undertones.
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